Friends with Benefits (Re)
by SKYLAND2704
Summary: Sky and Z definitely feel something for each other, It's not love, but what is it? I've made a couple of MAJOR changes. It'll now have a different ending. Rated M, though a few chapters are T. Sky/Z friendship, later romance, i guess.
1. Desire

A/N: This was my second fic, n i know many of you have already read the original thing, but i changed the ending. now it'll end in one single story, n have a lighter ending. i mean, it won't get stretched into another story like 'The Darker Side'.

Chapter 1: Desire

(This takes place just before resurrections)

The rangers were chilling out in the common room; Z was hanging out on the couch, going through the photos she had taken in the past year. Syd was engaged in a tough match of 'thumb wrestling' with bridge. Jack was on the phone talking to Ally, sky walked in, and dragged Bridge out of the game and out of the room, saying "dude we need to talk".

"finally sky expresses his feelings" Z snidely commented as sky dragged bridge out of the room.

"hey…I was about to win" bridge said complaining.

"sorry… and FYI you weren't even close to winning. But bro, I need your help. A LOT" sky said, nervously.

"bro? okay, something's up. You haven't called me bro since bell…" one glare from sky shut him up "what is it?" he asked.

"ummm… don't tell jack, he'll kill me, but I think I got hots for Z." sky said.

Bridge nearly choked of laughter.

"you, hots, girl, and that even Z… please say you're kidding" bridge said laughing hysterically.

"I'm serious, I don't think I love her, but I… have been… having… wet dreams… about her" sky let out.

Bridge, YELLED jubilantly "HE'S HUMAN AGAIN" loudly enough for the others to hear all the way over to the common room.

"big surprise" sky said sarcastically.

"his sarcasm is back" bridge said, like a proud mother and hugged sky.

"okay, enough for your cheesy reactions, help me here, I'm in a crisis" sky said.

"ok serious now, so, when did it start?" Bridge asked

"I don't know I mean, we had some awkward touches, and all, but that wasn't it. I mean I've found her quite attractive since the first time i saw her, but it's started getting really intense. I mean, I've started dreaming about her in at night, like really, really erotic dreams. It's—" he couldn't describe it. Extreme Sexual Attraction? Maybe.

"ok, cool, cool, cool, cool! continue" bridge was damn excited.

Sky continued "well just yesterday, she put her hands on my chest, and turned to face me, and i think I saw... lust in her eyes." he remembered the expression, "the rest was lost when Cruger entered and we all know how strict he is about this kinda stuff what d'you think bro?" sky said.

"I think the girl was tryna make a move on you" Jack's voice said from behind, making Sky and Bridge jump.

"how long have you been there?" asked sky, obviously horrified, jack would kill them if he knew Sky was crushing on Z.

"some time, so who are you talking about? it's Syd isn't it?" jack asked

Sky sighed I relief and replied "no its not Syd, it's… a D-Squad cadet."

"okay… I say, ask her out, if you are capable of doing that. I gotta go, bro, see ya" said jack laughing at his own joke and left.

"he's right, ask her out." Bridge suggested.

"fine, I'll try." said sky and they walked back to the common room; he was getting sick of his reputation as a heartless robot. Okay, he didn't quite closely feel connected with a lot of them, but that didn't mean he couldn't. He just didn't want to. It was by his choice.

X-X-X

Later following his friend's advice, sky asked z if she'd like to go for a walk.

"I don't see why not." Said Z and sky looked back at Bridge as they were exiting his look saying, 'Score'

X-X-X

So Sky and Z walked down the park, sky began the conversation "so you wanted to… say something yesterday?"

"oh yeah about that…" she trailed off...

"you know Jack was right, we should get out more often." Sky said, saving her from embarrassment, he knew that she didn't want to talk about it right now, and that it was a little... out of place.

"you know sky, the way you're loosening up, you're almost human"

"funny, that's the second time I heard that today." Sky said laughing.

The rest of their conversation was interrupted by a monster attack.

A/N: remember that scene in resurrections where they went for a walk? that is what inspired me for this fiery couple. love or hate? review. and also i'll be updating every monday.(hopefully ;P)


	2. Comfort

A/N: something happens between them. let's see what. I changed it a little bit, a little more M.  
PS power rangers doesn't belong to me. blah blah blah. read and review :)

**Chapter 2: Comfort**

(takes place after endings finale, but before they go to visit Jack and Ally)

"sky, I can't find Z anywhere. I've searched the whole base" bridge said entering the common room, where sky and Syd were packing clothes to donate to jack and ally's.

"Fuck" sky said out loud.

"sky I've never heard you swear out loud," Syd commented.

"what you haven't seen me do can fill a book" sky said and left saying "I think I know where she might be" he remembered her vaguely telling him that she loved woods. So he decided to check in the woods by the base, which had a stream running through.

Well seems like he was right, because Z was there, her feet in the stream, oblivious to the world.

"you know, it's against the rules to come and sit by the stream by yourself." He said. She turned around, "what are you doing here? I want to be alone sky. Please leave me alone" Z said

"hey, this is not the Z Delgado I know."

"this is the real me then"

"c'mon, why are you so sad? Because jack left?"

"yes, and now, like always, I also have to leave with him. I don't want to leave."

"why do you have to leave? Jack's a douche bag, he doesn't care about what you do, why do you have to follow him everywhere, besides, he's got Ally now,"

"and me, who have I got?" she practically yelled and then burst into tears.

"z, don't cry, you've got us, Syd, bridge, and… me. Did you think what would happen to us, if you leave? Did you?" sky burst out.

"Oh sky…" Z said, in between sobs. She then, acting on her feelings, leant across and kissed Sky with all her force, causing him to fall back a little.

"you okay if I do this," she suddenly asked like a kid, pulling back, looking disheveled.

In reply, Sky kissed her on the lips again, this time, the kiss got more intense and heated, he pinned her against the ground and still continued to kiss her, his hands going over her body, feeling her curves, she in turn helped him by taking off her uniform jacket, still kissing passionately. He followed suit, breaking the kiss for a minute to yank it off, along with his shirt. She also took off her shirt, and the two got back to the kiss; his hands wandered down her back, and to the hook of her bra, which he smoothly did off, and her bra came off.

He pushed her back further, so she was lying down, completely on the forest floor, and moved his lips down her neck, and her chest, right to her nipples. He took one in his mouth, sucking, while his fingers toyed with the other one. She moaned out his name in pleasure, as his fingers made their way downwards to her pants. He detached himself from her breasts, and using both hands, yanked off her pants, which came off, along with the underwear.

"let me help" she said, pulling off his pants and boxers too, so that now, the two were completely naked. Sky looked at her naked body, and felt so consumed by lust that it took all his strength to control himself, 'just a few moments' he told himself. Z gasped seeing him, his body was ripped beyond ripped, and his cock, very much erect, and ready to fuck her, was larger than any she had ever seen.  
"I want to fuck you" he groaned, and she grinned, "and fuck you shall" she said, arching her eyebrows. That was more than what Sky needed, to plunge his cock deep into her, with all his might.

This was something neither had ever done before, at least not with each other.

X-X-X

The two lay panting on the forest floor together, naked. Sky looked at z and smiled his charming smile.

"I can't believe we actually did that." Sky said

"me too" z replied, still smiling.

"how do you feel?" sky asked.

"light, something tells me spd is gonna feel more like home now." Z said

"you didn't do it with jack did you?" sky asked crazy idea in his head.

"NO. Please, he's like my brother."

"what am I? please don't say boyfriend" sky asked mischievously.

"I wasn't going to, I say friends?" z suggested.

"works for me" sky said grinning when suddenly, his morpher began ringing

"yes?" He asked "hey Syd…"

"its Syd?" z asked.

"yes, I found z, we were …ummmm… talking about…"

"mushrooms" z prompted

"where are you two?"

"In the woods."

"how long does it take to talk about mushrooms?" Syd asked

"not long really. it's the arguing that took time"

"two hours? If it weren't you and z I'd say, you were having sex, but knowing that you two are handicapped that way, I'm gonna have to go with mushroom argument that's more probable."

"excuse me" sky and z both said at the same time

"see you, be back soon, we're going to visit jack" Syd said and cut off

"I can't believe she bought it!" z said

"we're so not sexually handicapped." Sky said

"yeah I guess we just proved that. Sky you are way… cooler than I thought, I never imagined someone like you, of all people, randomly hooking up with me" z said.

"well now that my 'darker side' has broken loose. Elizabeth Delgado, you are in for a ride of your life now" the two laughed, put their clothes back on and made their way back to the academy, nudging each other playfully.

X-X-X

Back at the academy, Cruger and Syd, furious, yelled at the two by their delay. The rangers then went to visit Jack and ally, and to donate clothes. Z went and hugged jack. "well brother?"

"you might've left SPD, but you're not leaving our lives" sky said, smiling

"guess we both get to do something bigger" z said.

Sky and z smiled at each other, thinking of their little adventure in the forest and sky's morpher began beeping.

"go for it" jack said encouragingly.

"SPD EMERGENCY"

X-X-X

A/N: like it? i know it was a little too fast to jump into, but i've got a whole story planned. i had to rush. it'll be at least twenty chapters if not more. keep reading. hope you enjoy.


	3. Files

**A/N:** Okay, pushing All LAZINESS aside, i FINALLY re-edited this chapter on the basis of a few g_uidelines _from a couple of 'Friends with Benefits' and 'No Strings Attached' Movies!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Files**

Two days later, Sky and Z got an assignment together: set criminal files in serial order: The most tiresome of all of SPD chores.

They hadn't got much time to talk in these two days. Sky was leaning back in the chair while z was freaking out about the number of files they had to do.

"get your butt out of that chair and help me here, this is a joint assignment" she yelled at him.

"chill out z, we got the whole day, this will take max 3 hrs then we're done, but if we do it slowly, relaxing, talking, it will take at least 5 hrs. Then we can tell Cruger we're tired, and get the rest of the day off. No one will ever find out." Sky said laying out his EVIL plan, with a smirk.

"wow, jack leaves, and you become a whole new person" z said in wonder.

"nah, actually, you've seen the worst of me in the woods, and not complained about it, so I figure, my secrets are safe with you." Sky explained

"what" Z asked, clearly shocked. "yeah, you're trustworthy" he concluded.

"I have a feeling I'm gonna like this side of Sky Tate." Z said, coming to him, and sitting down in his lap.

"oh yeah babe, you're in for a ride of your lifetime" sky said, kissing her.

"I'm looking forward to this, but right now, I think we should do some work don't you?" z said, breaking the kiss and going back to the desk.

"that's the Fucking curse of SPD. FML" Sky said as he grudgingly got up and back to work.

"ooh… Sky Tate swearing!" Z said, and the two burst out laughing.

After working on the files for a while, sky looked up again, "hey Z you didn't hesitate to kiss me, may I know why?"

"Yeah, Sky, I got a confession to make… I have kinda been having dreams about you, like you and me doin' stuff…" Z said hesitantly.

"what!? Since when?" Sky was SURPRISED!

"I don't know if you remember, or even if you noticed, but one day, a few weeks backs, I accidentally touched your 'thing'. Since then I've been kinda wanting to…" z said nervously.

"I remember." Sky said, thinking back, smirking.

"desires?" z questioned

"Sexual desires" sky clarified.

"Co-incidence?" z asked

"Maybe" Sky replied. Awkward silence

"we're still friends right?" Z asked, "i mean, you're am amazing guy and everything, but we have a greta friendship, and i really, REALLY don't want t screw it up!"

"i totally agree," he nodded, "plus, i don't think I wanna get into a serious relationship"

"yeah, totally," Z nodded, a little relieved, "great, me neither, I was worried you might, you know?"

"We're Power Rangers, we work work 17 hours a day." Sky said, "i think what both of us need is a stress buster... you know?"

she grinned, "I need someone who's gonna be in bed with me at 2 AM, but someone i don't have to eat breakfast with"

"i hate breakfast" he joked,

"GOOD"

"So it's a Friends With Benefits deal!" Sky brought his fist up, and Z fist bumped it, "yeah, No Strings Attached"

"I think we should establish a few... ground rules"

"like what?"

"No Lying"  
"No Jealousy"  
"No questions"  
"Don't list me as your emergency contact."  
"We are free to date anyone we like"  
"you won't ask me what I think about your body"  
"We're not complicating friendship"  
"No emotions, no 'I love you crap', kayy?"

"Deal?"  
"Deal!"

"should we do something like a 'seal the deal' thingie?" Z asked

"like a pinky promise?" sky asked, incredulous.

"Something we do when we're not FIVE" she replied, laughing.

"oh come on! It's the universe's truest promise!"

"all right" he resigned, stretching his pinky finger, and Z firmly locked hers against his, "Just Sex, Just Friendship, No Love, No Crap" they chanted together.

The two looked at each other, she gave him a little peck on the cheek, and then they got back to work, chatting, grinning, and very normally, being friends.


	4. Night-Watch

A/N: I posted this one earlier than usual, but i couldn't help it, the ideas were just overflowing in my mind. i had to get some stuff off. Power Rangers doesn't belong to me... blah blah blah. read and review.

**Chapter 4: Night-watch**

About a week later, Sky and Z got a night watch together. The two had been acting like friends, acting like nothing had happened between them. That day, the air conditioning broke, and since it was mid summer, Cruger said it was okay, that the two could wear light clothes, instead of their uniforms.

Z reached the HQ, after taking a cold shower; already mad thinking that Sky was late, cuz she couldn't see him anywhere. She was wearing a white crop top, and black shorts, looking hot.

She was shocked when she saw Sky turn around in Cruger's desk, surprised seeing him there. He looked like some sorta evil mastermind of a move making his grand entrance.

"oh good, you're not late" z said seeing this.

Hearing this, Sky spun around in his chair, facing her, greeting her with a "sup"

"whoa" Z said looking at sky, "you're naked"

"not really, only shirtless, it's over there" sky clarified, pointing to his shirt, lying on the ground.

"and why would that be?" Z asked.

"because… its hot in here, especially, after you've come" sky slyly replied, "and you're wet". Z said, "excuse me?"

"not that way, z get your head outta the drain, I mean you're hair, they're wet" sky said grinning.

"hey, I wasn't coming to a night watch with YOU without taking a cold shower" z said.

Sky didn't ignore the sexual implications in the comment "you think I'm hot don't you, but it's not your fault. No chick has ever been able to resist me seeing these" he said pointing at his abs.

"oh yeah, well, I'm no usual 'chick'." Z sassily replied.

"Oh yeah?" sky asked, nobody had had the guts to challenge Sky Tate's masculinity. Ever.

"you know what, Let's see if you can actually seduce me sky Tate." Z said teasingly and went and sat on the circular table at the centre of the command.

"You actually darin' me?" sky asked amused. "uh-huh" she replied.

So then, sky got off cruger's chair and went over to Z "get ready Delgado, I'm a beast" he whispered to her, and pressed his lips against hers and began kissing her aggressively. His hands moving around her body feeling her up, making her feel a little...

He then moved his lips over to her earlobe and began nibbling it; then slid his lips down her chin and down her neck to her shoulder where he bit her. She moaned. He then put his hand on her thigh and slowly began caressing it slowly pulling his hand into her underwear, gently massaging her clit, then he slid two fingers inside and Z began moaning. Sky chuckled, his charm working well, he whispered to her "Seduced?"

"not yet boy" she said, looking at him, slyly.

"I'm not done yet then" he said, and shoved two fingers roughly into her cunt, pulling them out and then back in, and out, he touched a spot that made Z scream out in pleasure, he knew that was it.

"you want me to fuck you?"

"Fuck yes" she gasped for breath, and then, their scant clothes flew off, all around the command centre, and he made her lie back completely on the table in the control centre, with her legs wrapped around his waist, as drove his cock into her cunt rhythmically, each thrust hitting her G-spot, with her clawing at his back, and hair, urging him to go faster.

X-X-X

"that was GOOD!" Sky said as he zipped back his pants.

"carried away again Tate?" Z said running her hand through her entangled hair

"yeah" Sky replied, grinning, "big one timer" putting on his shirt.

"good thing its after curfew hours. No one's around" Z said, pulling on her skirt.

"though I got to agree, that was one heck of a night watch." Sky said

"yeah… I won't mind doing it again sometime." Z said, looking at him lustfully.

"so much for the one timer"

"you're just too hot for a one timer" Z mumbled.

"huh?" Sky asked

"nothing" Z said.

The two had completely dressed themselves, when suddenly the HQ door flew open and Kat entered.

"Kat whatcha doin' here?" Sky asked, obviously nervous.

"I have some research to do, couldn't sleep." She replied.

"oh okay" Z said

"you two go grab some rest. I'm here," Kat said.

"we can do that" z said and bolted for the door followed by sky.

"close one" he whispered to her and they exited adjusting their clothes as if they had never taken them off.

as they were walking out, they saw commander Cruger heading towards the HQ.

_Must be some emergency..._ Sky thought as he saw the commander, but was too tired from his and Z's late night revels to actually go and ask.


	5. Cameras

A/N: This one's more like filler. PR doesn't belong to me... definitely wish it did!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Cameras**

Next morning, Z came into the common room wearing a turtleneck, to hide the bite mark, a result of her little nighttime adventure with sky.

Sky was already there, but unusually, he was chirpy. "good morning, turtleneck?" he said and burst out laughing.

"no thanks to you" Z said out loud.

"gee, you're in a mood" sky said, still grinning "whose up for a game of foosball, I'm not gonna play alone am I?" he asked

"how'd the lone wolf Tate become a people person?" Syd asked.

"why do I have a feeling I know?" bridge wondered out loud. Then to sky he said "buddy guy talk time, come on" and led him out, glancing back at Z and her turtleneck.

"what happened, you had sex with her didn't you?" bridge exploded as soon as the two were out of earshot.

"no, what sort of a guy do you think I am?" Sky asked lying

"Sky, I've known you since high school, no lying with me" bridge said

before sky could respond, though, a d squad cadet came to bridge with an assignment.

"how about we pick this up later?" he asked as they made their way back to the common room.

"great, security camera footage." Bridge muttered, going through his assignment.

"what" sky looked up.

"HQ security cameras, I have to load their images into the stock" bridge said.

Hearing HQ cameras Z's ears perked up. "How about I do the job bridge, you can relax." She offered.

"But you don't know the activation code" he protested.

"I do" sky perked in "I can help"

"Oki doki works for me" bridge said

Sky and Z headed to the HQ silently, got the camera, hooked it to the computer and sky put in the activation code.

"how dumb can we be?" Z muttered.

"yes! We had to have sex in the most observed part of the whole fucking academy" sky said through his teeth.

"well fortunately, we're here to delete it, unlike some other unfortunate people, whose videos are still here" z mentioned, surfing the camera's memory drive.

"what other people" sky asked, shocked.

"to be precise, Cruger and Kat" z said, giving him a sly smile.

"whoa!" sky exclaimed.

"yup, right after we left" z commented, looking at the time, " a few more of them, the old a squad, and the new c squad… and hey, one of Syd and, ewww, jack"

"seriously?" sky asked, "wow, we should rename it, like, hookup centre"

"anyway, I'm deleting our video" z said, back to the task at hand.

"wait, how about we watch it first?" sky inserted in playfully.

"no way, too risky" Z said, keeping her head in the game.

"how about, this" sky pulled out a pen drive.

"right, give it to me" she took the pen drive, and he smirked.

Z downloaded the their footage on to the pen drive, then to the system's computer, erasing hers and Sky's.

A while later, Sky came to Z's room "what's up, babe?" he asked her.

"books, how 'bout you get your handbook, and we read together?" Z asked.

"oh god, I'm having the sky effect on you" he said, laughing.

"you're happy?" z asked sarcastically .

"why shouldn't I be?" he replied

"cuz you're Sky Tate" she said, without much thought.

"have you ever thought why I am like that?" he asked her

"no" she replied. "well, think about it." He said.

"I… ummmm… don't really feel like it, right now" z seductively began, wrapping her hands around sky's neck, pushing herself into him.

"you don't wanna do it again do you?" Sky said, playfully sliding his hand inside her uniform feeling her bare back.

"so, why did you actually come here?" Z asked.

"I was wondering if maybe you wanna watch those videos of ours from the camera?" Sky replied maliciously.

"bad boy…. Me likey" Z said and then pulled him into Syd's pinky bed, kissing him aggressively, taking off his shirt.

"I knew something was going on!" bridge yelled entering the room "caught in the act." Triumphant.

"bridge what the fuck are you doing here!" sky yelled

"I knew something was up. So, I followed you. There is no way sky's cheerful on a morning when he hasn't woken up with a girl in his bed."

"so I wasn't your first?" z asked confused, she hadn't pictured sky as anything but a virgin, this was a surprise.

"was I your first?" Sky questioned back

"fair enough"

"so are you two a couple thingie now?" bridge asked

"nah, not really" Sky said

"huh?" bridge asked confused

"see, the thing is that we're…"sky began

"we're just messing around. It's nothing else. No cheesy, love or anything" z helped him.

"Yeah we're just friends" sky added.

"Yeah we have…privileges" " Z completed.

"Sex friends," sky added

"wha…" Bridge was speechless.

"you won't tell anyone about it would you?" sky asked cautiously.

"oki doki" bridge said, uncertainly.

"how about I see you later?" z said and left.

"gosh" bridge burst out as soon as z left.

"what?" sky asked.

"YOU SLEPT WITH ELIZABETH DELGADO" bridge yelled

"why don't we just put it on the BBC?" sky asked sarcastically.

"sorry about the yelling, but this is great news! You are actually a human being again, of course ignoring the fact that you two are just having meaningless animal sex. But you are actually doing something human!" bridge babbled all in one breath.

"chill bridge, now how about we put this little incident behind us?" sky calmly asked bridge.

"okay, one last question, how was she?" bridge asked teasingly.

"in bed?" sky asked, bridge nodded.

"well, she was everything I had dreamed about and more." The two boys grinned.

* * *

A/N: I know it's a little too pervy, but i don't care.


	6. Shower

Chapter 6: Shower

This had been a fairly messy mission.

It had been almost two weeks since sky and z had revealed their secret to bridge. He had, as promised, not spoken a word. Everything was just fine. Sky and z had started spending a lot of time together. They used to play video games, climb up the jungle gym in the training area, go for ice cream at times, watch movies, and pretty much Enjoy. Sky had actually started loosening up, a smile almost always on his face. He used to do pretty much everything jack and z had done together. Sometimes, bridge also used to join them; these three could do anything, even get drunk and break windows. The only exception had been a dance club, which sky used to avoid every time saying he couldn't dance. Z had been trying to convince him.

This mission had been to fight and bring in a monster that kept shooting barbecue sauce and mud lumps at them. After returning to the base, bridge and sky raced to the bathroom in their room to clean up, bridge was before sky, and he went in and locked the door saying, "too late sucker"

"oh man!" sky said, then he got an idea, there was a spare bathroom in the guest room. No one was staying there. He could use that.

What he didn't know was that someone else had had the exact same idea.

He walked in the bathroom without knocking, and was met by the sight of z Delgado, already using the shower. Still, before saying anything, he observed her perfect body. Finally, to draw her attention, he began playfully, "hey"

"SKY, WHAT THE FUCKING HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" She shrieked.

"just planning to take a shower"

"whatever happened to knocking?"

"I thought I would be alone"

"so did I, but occupado, Get out"

"hey, no one commands me, and how can I miss such an opportunity? A shower with Z Delgado?"

"hey… I didn't invite you!" Z protested

"I crashed" Sky replied, with a sly look, and entered the shower.

Z began, "what the…" the rest of her words were drowned in Sky's kiss.

Breaking the kiss, he asked her, "any objections, with me crashin'?"

"unh-huh, in fact, I dare you to fuck me, right here, right now." She seductively replied.

"dare accepted, what I'm here for" Sky said and stripped off all his clothes. He pushed her back against the wall of the shower, using one hand of his, to take both of her hands and pin them above her head, keeping them there with his own, while his other hand getting busy plundering her cunt. She screamed as she orgasmed all over his fingers, and then he picked her up, and made her wrap her legs around his waist as he fucked her with force.

The two got so busy that they didn't hear their morphers go off.

After finishing their shower together, Sky carried Z out into the guest room, and placed her on the bed. They were dry, all except for their hair, and were planning on continuing their 'session' when their morphers began beeping again.

The two looked at each other, sighed, and answered the call.

"where have you been cadets?" Cruger's voice boomed.

"sir, Syd had been hogging up the shower, so I was in the guest rooms" z replied. Sky just said, "I was cleaning up sir" neither of the two technically lying.

"okay cadets, this shouldn't happen again, and report to the base, I have some important announcements to make" Cruger said and hung up.

"close call." Sky commented

"yeah, let's get dressed up", Z replied back.

X-X-X

The rangers had assembled in the HQ, Sky and Z almost an hour late, Cruger entered with Kat in tow. Then he began his 'speech'

"rangers, you performed outstandingly in the past year and a half, but the departure of Jacquel Landers has left us with a spot open, therefore, we are promoting the top cadet of C squad to the rank of yellow ranger."

"but sir, I am the yellow ranger" Z objected.

"yes, about that cadet, you're the green ranger now." Cruger said and left.

"hope green suits you babe" sky whispered to Z, earning himself a smirk and a punch from her.

"let me introduce you to your newest teammate, Daniel Masterson." Kat said, leading him on to meet them.

He had a very charming smile, his sleek brown carefully combed and neatly parted, he looked like tom riddle, straight out of the harry potter movies.

He looked at the squad, carefully examining each of them, and thought to himself Dammit these girls are HOT! Even the guys? Like PHEW!

Bridge noticed Daniel's gaze and mentally read his aura.

"This guy reeks virgin" Bridge whispered to Sky.

"Bro, you're also a virgin." Sky pointed out.

"no i'm not!" he protested, as if Sky would believe him, but Bridge had his problems, touching humans intimately gave him access to painful memories of those people; this guy wasn't even a mutant, what was his reason? he couldn't get girls? that's what it looked like, no? What a loser. Virgin at twenty three. In New Tech City? What a joke

A/N: Again I'm saying... don't judge!


	7. Visitor

A/N: Power Rangers doesn't belong to me. blah blah blah, you know the rest. Here goes nothing.

**Chapter 8: Visitor**

"No way, not again" bridge yelled.

"oh, yes way" sky grinned "I'm awesome" and received a blow in the stomach from z's tennis racket

"dude, they beat us again, fourth time in a row" Daniel commented

"and as much as I'd hate to rub it in your faces, Ya lost Suckers; wait, I actually loved it" z smirked and high-fiving sky.

Sky, Z, Bridge, and Daniel had been playing tennis for the past one hour, sky and z beating them every time. It had been almost a week since Daniel had arrived on the team, and had made friends with all of them, i.e. all except Syd, whom he had annoyed with his dance moves the first time he had asked her on a date. Even sky was comfy around him, as he showed no signs of knowing them before that day.

"is that actually Sky, high-fiving Z?" someone said from behind, startling all of them.

"Jack, how're you here? Moreover, who allowed you here?" sky asked, making a stinky face.

"ah, he's back" Syd said coming up behind him.

"back?" sky asked in disbelief.

"there, Hitler Tate is back" z grinned.

"Hitler Tate?" Daniel asked, confused.

"nice one z" jack said, "and I was just paying a visit, no need to go hyper sky"

"good to know Bon Jovi" sky said.

"is this the same guy I left?" jack asked examining sky as if he was some laboratory specimen.

"not really, he's a new guy, fucki… being red I mean has loosened him up like anything" bridge said.

"did you just say fucking?" jack asked skeptically.

"NO" bridge sky and z all yelled together.

"okay" jack said, "anyway, I'm staying in the guest room."

Suddenly a song, 'Rumors' filled the room. All of them looked at each other

"that's me" Sky said, answering the call. "Listen, this is my info on th subject... I Don't Care!" and kept the phone down.

"what was that?" jack asked.

"nothing, just a little prob back home, no biggie" sky replied.

"you've gone full weird"

"not weird, just loosening up, something a friend told me to do" he said, looking at z.

"okay, this just turned bizarre, let's go brother, I got a new game, I need to show you" z said, leading jack out of the room.

X-X-X

That day, later jack and Syd went out for shopping, and apparently complained about no one being so friendly with her, and he came back and gave all of them a discourse on friends. Sky got angry and had an argument with him.

Later that night, he couldn't go of to sleep, insomnia again, he thought, and headed off to the common room for some coffee.

There he found out someone had the same idea: z was already there, playing a video game. She looked up, and cursed under her breath.

"was that meant for me?" he asked with a smirk.

"no" z said, "not that you don't deserve it" and was received by a flying cup of water, drenching her. Sky chortled

"why're you up so late" he then asked

"why're you up so late" she questioned back

"you answer first"

"you do"

"okay, was just thinking about my fight with jack earlier, you"

"it's a bit weird, biscuit?" she offered.

"sure" he said, and sat down next to her, taking the bourbon.

"so, why're you up" he asked again.

"it's jack"

"did u 2 fight?"

"no, it's…." she was still hesitant, "hear for yourself" she said muting the volume of the game. He listened and immediately regretted it. Sexual sounds, moans of pleasure, he recognized from jack and Syd, made him feel like running away and stuff his ears with cotton balls. The thought of jack and Syd… ewwwwww.

"see, they're hitting it off…"

"and have stationed you to make sure no one else hears?"

"yup, but I stink at video games, as you can see" she pointed at her score.

"you know, I can teach you" he said taking the controls.

"ehhh… I'm not really interested in this, I like other games" she replied seductively.

"like what" he got the vibes she was sending and playfully put her hand on her thigh, which showed quite explicitly through her undersized shorts.

"I have a feeling you know"

"you're pretty good at it too", he was now sliding his hand up into her shorts, reaching for her underwear, which he realized, she wasn't wearing.

"still you manage to teach me once in a while" she said, looking at him.

"wanna play this game?" he asked her,

"you know the rules" z replied,

"keep the volume low"

"don't be a gentleman"

"enjoy and let enjoy"

"no love allowed"

"bring out the beast"

And with that, the two took off their lower garments, not all, just the shorts, pajamas and the boxers, the videogame playing in the background as they fucked long and hard…

They looked at the ceiling of the common room, lying next to each other after another one of their 'sessions', panting.

"that was one heck of a game" sky commented

"yeah" z replied, too exhausted to say anything else.

"who the hell made you?" he asked

"God" she replied

"okay, wanna play a videogame, real one this time?" he asked.

"sure"

They got off, dressed up and played the game for a while, until they could no longer hear jack and Syd anymore. Then they went back to their respective rooms, no danger around.

X-X-X

The next morning, bridge woke up realizing that his by the rules roommate was sleeping in late, unaware of his 'late night adventure'.

"hey, bro, wake up, wake up" he tried to wake him up.

"Z girl you're wet, aren't you" he moaned from under the pillow.

"wet dreams not stopped yet Tate?" he asked, amused.

Hearing that sky jerked awake, throwing the pillow on bridge's face.

"what the fuck did I say?" he asked.

"ooohhhhh…. Z you're so wetttt…" bridge mimicked, receiving another pillow in the face.

"are you serious?"

"oooohhhhhh z…." bridge mimicked again.

"okay enough with it, did anyone else hear it?" sky asked.

"I don't think so, no" bridge replied.

Suddenly, z's head peeked in from the doorway "hey guys, wanna say hi to ally, she stopped by to pickup Jack."

"sure" bridge said, "come o sky"

"I'll be there in a moment" sky said.

"whoa, sky tate sleeping in late? How come?" z asked, grinning.

"no thanks to you" he said after bridge had left.

"whatever do you mean Schulyer Tate?" she asked innocently.

"oh you don't know do you?" he asked, throwing yet another pillow at her.

Later as they walked together, both kept nudging each other about what they had found out about jack and Syd last night.

There when they arrived, ally was waiting, jack hadn't showed up yet. He arrived a few moments later and greeted Ally with a kiss that could hardly be described as sisterly.

"what was that?" sky asked confused.

"what? I'm his girlfriend, don't tell me snogging is against the regulations here" ally smiled.

"well, nothing in particular is banned in the academy," z said, and to sky she whispered "knowing kat and cruger" then she dragged jack away on some 'big bro business'

"you're dating ally?" she asked.

"yeah, so"

"you slept with Syd"

"yeah, so?"

"does she know?"

"who"

"Syd"

"yeah, I told her."

"and ally?"

"what about her?"

"what?"

"does she know you cheated on her?" Z asked, almost panicking

"no, and you won't tell her" jack replied.

"why not?"

"what she doesn't know wouldn't hurt her"

"but ja…" she began, but he cut her off "gotta go z see ya around"

when they returned, sky whispered to Z "is it just me, or did jack cheat on ally?"

"I don't believe it,"

"what?"

"how changed he is"

A/N: Don't bother making much sense of the story line. it's just a casual series of one-shots i get in my head while reading the history of the contemporary world (that's my annoying textbook that i can never concentrate on). my exams are beginning next week, so i won't update for a while. sorry fr the to-be-delays.


	8. Party-Preps

A/N: this is where the things start changing from the original story. Tell me what you guys think! are the changes too subtle, or are they too visible

Chapter 8: Party-Preps

It was a pretty nice day, everybody just chilling, jack had left three days ago, and everything was kinda friendly.

Sky was on the couch, 'reading' his SPD manual, while actually his mind was somewhere else.

Z was playing some crazy mind game with Bridge, and Syd was adoring herself in the mirror, when Daniel walked in.

"hey team!" he said, "guess what I managed to convince cruger to do" he asked, looking exited.

"my guess, you convinced him to copy your 1970s haircut?" sky joked.

"good one." Z high-fived him.

"No, and it's not 1970s, it's 1983," Daniel corrected, then began, "I convinced Cruger to throw a party, for all of SPD! And you guys are gonna help me with the décor." He exploded.

"That's awesome!" Bridge exclaimed.

"except for the helping part." Syd commented, without looking up.

"come on, we'll get to bond like a team!" Sky said, "good for the team building exercise" sky added, logging back into red ranger mode.

"yeah, I mean, we can get all that we want to eat, drink, play, etc." Daniel said,

"and legally, we're all over drinking age, so getting a bar wouldn't be so bad." Z added,

"He!" bridge protested, as she looked up,

"what, you won! Now lemme plan the party. You know, if I hadn't become an SPD ranger, I'd be a party planner." Z said,

"okay, then, let me help as well." Bridge said, getting up, and going over to the food processor, and got himself a buttery toast.

"toast? It's buttery." Bridge said, wriggling his fingers,

"NOOOOOO" all the rangers yelled in unison.

"okay, I was just being polite." Bridge said, pretending to be hurt.

"well, let's get the preps started." Sky said, getting up, and went out, the others wondering where he had gone.

He came back a few minutes later, an Sky was on the phone, when he hung up, he said, "okay, I booked a DJ, a caterer, but you'll have to tell them what to serve, I don't know where to get a bartender from, so that you'd have to manage, I've also ordered the supplies for the decorations." He said.

"well, you didn't leave anything for us to do big red." Z said, sarcastically.

"I'm not helping with the decorations, that's gonna be your forte." Sky said, throwing his hands up in the air, and plopping down on the couch.

X-X-X

"AAAAAHHHHHH" Z exclaimed as she fell from the tall ladder just to be caught in the huge muscular arms of sky Tate.

"Romantic" Syd commented.

"DON'T YOU SAY THAT AGAIN" sky and Z exclaimed together.

"okay!" Syd said, throwing her hands up in the air.

They were all in a huge hall in SPD, usually used for conferences, with all the furniture removed, it provided a pretty cool party place.

"okay, enough lazing around, this place is a mess, guests are arriving in four hours we need to get the theme ready!" Daniel said, getting in with a clipboard.

"sir yes sir!" Z joked, and got back to the banner she had been putting up before the fall. Sky himself went back to arranging an ice sculpture, it was a couple of dolphins, and a beautiful star, and a few other human figures, in ice. It was beautiful.

"you know sky, we can put the sculpture in the centre of the room, not the back edge," bridge commented.

"that's a good idea" sky said, moving the sculpture, meanwhile Z and Syd were done with the banners, and now were moving over to the lighting, taking up the voice command, she asked the AI, "bright", and the light got so bright, sky tried to close his eyes, fell down, with the sculpture on top of him, "okay, too bright. Try chandelier," she said, the lights went out, and a gigantic chandelier with lighted candles came out, and Syd looked at her confused, "it's not a ball Z" she complained.

"okay, how about romantic?" she said, and the chandelier disappeared, and the lights went dim, and all 'romantic'

"cheesy!" Sky yelled from the other end of the room, soaking in what had been an ice sculpture.

"right" z said, thinking of their earlier little 'playoffs'.

"try, party" Daniel suggested

"goody, party lights" Syd said, and it was kinda cute, the lights moving slowly, not like a disco one, and changing colors from baby pink to sky blue to mild yellow and finally to a sparkly white.

"now that's perfect." Bridge said.

A few C and D squad cadets scurried apart on the orders of the seniors as Sky ordered a new ice sculpture, the lady on the phone was confused as what party needs two exact kind of ice sculptures.

X-X-X

The party was a huge success, the while team was enjoying themselves.

"yee haw!" Bridge said, getting in as a cowboy.

"really, really bridge? Cowboy? This isn't Halloween." Syd mocked.

"well, it's better than wearing that slutty dress tryna get laid," Sky pointed out sardonically.

"what's your problem?" Syd ased, turning to face him

"what's yours," he asked, "wait, I know it, you're a bitch." He added, innocently.

"Sky, you…" she was mad, and threw a glass of wine all over him, drenching his tuxedo.

"you're just mad." Sky said, and sauntered off.

A while later, Z was talking to Kat, Bridge was showing off some crappy dance moves, and making everyone around him laugh, Sky's tux was drying off, and Syd was sulking in a corner. Sky had an idea, he walked over to Daniel, two glasses of wine in his hand, and he handed one to Daniel,

"hey buddy, I gotta say, the party wasn't a stupid idea, I'm actually, having loads of fun, thanks."

"thanks Sky!" Daniel replied, clinking the bottles, then, as an afterthought, he added, "You know Sky, you're not as screwed up, and uptight as Syd says you are, you're actually pretty cool. The nickname Hitler Tate, it's not justified you know, you're actually a chilled out normal guy…"

"Daniel, I wasn't like that, originally, I used to be a complete jerk to everyone because I didn't get the red ranger's position, and jack did. I was upset, you know, it had been my dream since I was a little kid. I was an egomaniac, then, my friends, Z, Bridge and Sam and well, jack too, they helped me get over it, they taught me that heroes come in all colors, and well, I learned to accept that, and here I am now…" sky explained.

"character development, sweet" he joked.

The two talked for a while, about random stuff, and Sky felt like Daniel had a sorta crush on Syd AND Z.

Suddenly, Z came by, she was wearing a really pretty dress, red, ending a little above the knees, it had black stripes that formed the neck.

"wow, you look really pretty," Sky said, he meant the compliment, because she really, really looked beautiful to him; she took his hand, and said to Daniel, "can I borrow him? We need to talk." And Daniel couldn't refuse to her; she looked just so damn hot.

"Wanna dance?" Sky asked.

"took you long enough" Z commented sarcastically.

"I don't want to make it a big deal..." he said, looking at her slyly, as he took her hand and spun her on the dance floor.

"i thought you said you couldn't dance" Z asked, and Sky winked, "i was saving my skills for a special occasion" they danced and swayed on the dance floor, not just slow dancing, but also a mixture of some other dances. Finally, Z felt so hot that she couldn't contain herself anymore, "you wanna go back to my room?"

he grinned, "you really need to ask that question?" Sky asked, and then she led Sky away, she whispered to him seductively, "I know you like wearing red, let's see how much you like taking it off…"

X-X-X

"Wow, just wow!" Z grinned, "this was better than ever, better than last time."

"I know right. I guess red really turns me on" Sky joked.

They were naked under the covers in Syd's bed, a little game they played, tryna ruin Syd's neat bed dressing, she was a cleanliness freak, and it'd be fun to see her discover that somebody had sex in her bed, and not knowing who it had been would drive her even more mad.

Suddenly, they heard somebody shuffling around the corridors, and afraid they might discover the two, they quickly got dressed, she shoved him out. he made his way back to the party they had ditched.  
She could've just accompanied him, but she had to change, because her red dress was kinda… ruined.


	9. Setting-Up

A/N: PR doesn't belong to me, wish it did... and so on... Reviews pls!

**Chapter 9: Setting-Up**

"will you go out to the park with me?" Sky asked Z,

"and by 'go out' you mean?" she asked, implying something else.

"by 'going out' I mean 'going out' and taking a walk." He replied, chuckling. "just a friendly walk in the park, like the friends we are."

"we aren't exactly friends in the definition of the word."

"Friends are people who tolerate you for whoever you are. They accept you as a package deal, with your flaws and everything. I think we fit in that definition." Sky said.

"you'll always be that by-the-book guy huh?"

"well, I wasn't always that guy. I just became so when I realized that I might have a chance at becoming the red ranger. I began doing everything perfectly, and 'by the book'," he quoted.

"yeah, Dru said, you used to be wild and whacky"

"I used to be a lot!" he said.

"huh? Like what?"

"a friend with benefit?" he chuckled.

"how many have you had before?"

"you're the first. I've had hook-ups, and one-night-stands, but never this. And honestly, this is good!" he grinned, and she followed.

"I never had a meaningful relationship in a long time either. Well… never if you don't count a month as a 'meaningful' relationship." She cocked her head on the side.

"right" he nodded, and then, said, "you still haven't told me whether you'd go for that walk or not"

"yeah, I mean I got no other thing to do. I have night duty, so, yeah, I will come." She chuckled, and then, twenty minutes later, you could see the two in civilian clothes leaving the SPD academy.

"hey, you think we can hang out at the skate park? Or are we too old?" Sky asked.

"I guess it depends on whether you know skating or not." Z replied, nonchalantly, and Sky was just about to say something else, when Z gripped his hand in excitement. "Sky, Sky, Sky, Sky" Sky urgently whispered.

"what?" he asked, confused.

"that guy over there…" she pointed him out, "he's so damn CUTE!"

"wow, I've never seen you this excited to see a guy" he sounded amused.

"well…" she drew out, "I don't really say that I like some guy in front of a guy."

"excuse me?" Sky sounded mock offended, so she explained.

"I'm not saying you're a guy, but I mean, you're not my boyfriend, don't have a chance of being one, and…" she paused, then said, under his penetrating gaze, "you're my best friend, okay? And if you're a guy, it doesn't matter. You're still my closest friend, and I can tell you whatever I feel. Even if it's how pathetic I am when I like a guy." He chuckled. She was right. They had become best friends (don't tell Bridge.)

"yeah, you're right, you can tell me whatever you feel about you and your pathetic guys." She scowled, sarcastic, of course.

"he's NOT PATHETIC!" Z exclaimed.

"well, if you like him so much, why don't you go and ask him out?" Sky asked, and Z grinned, assuming he was joking, but seeing his serious face, she realized it wasn't a joke.

"you seriously want me to ask him out?"

"yeah. I mean, it'll be great! You'll have an actual boyfriend"

"are you getting tired of our 'Friends with benefits' arrangement?" she asked.

"Not at all!" Sky replied, smirking again, "I like you, but not in a romantic way, and I don't want you to live sans romance, especially if it might happen because of me. And I seriously think that you should ask him out." he finished.

Z looked at him, as if making sure he wasn't kidding, and when after all that she was still hesitant, he pushed her towards that guy.

She nervously approached him. He was tall, a little less than Sky, of course, but tall, had auburn hair, and a fair complexion. His eyes were a warm hazelnut color, and he looked like he might be out of some Disney animation. He was looking out to the trees, looking for God knows what.

"hi." She said to him, and he was suddenly pulled out of his reverie and looked at her, dazed, it took him a moment to process what she had said, and reply.

"hi, hii!" he said, bursting into a wide, genuine grin.

"hi" Z said again nervously.

"I'm, I'm Joseph. Joseph McBride" he introduced himself, nervously, grinning, realizing that the girl was interested in him.

"Elizabeth, Delgado." She said, and then quickly added, "You can call me Z."

And so, Sky continued watching the nervous exchange, they were talking, both seemed a little excited and a little uncomfortable.

He saw her identifying him, and he looked at him, and Sky waved, though he wasn't sure it was the right thing to do. He sported a goofy grin.

Finally, the two parted, with a small… awkward high-five.

"so? How did it go?" Sky asked when she came back.

"yeah, his name is Joseph, he's an assistant professor, and well… he just asked me out!" Z was so excited, and jumped up, where Sky caught her, and hugged her.

"That's Amazing!"

"yeah, I know! We're meeting on Saturday!" she looked at his happy face, and felt so nice. He was definitely a good friend. What she didn't know was that in his mind he was thinking '_if you break her heart, I'm gonna make you mighty miserable._

Then as an afterthought, she added, "oh, and he asked about you."

"huh?"

"yeah… I told him you were gay" she said, and then asked, "is that okay?"

"yeah, yeah. Anything, as long as it'll get you a date"

"oh, and I should probably mention it, he wants to set you up with his gay cousin" she said, and she couldn't contain her laughter when she saw his face turn red. It started out as giggles, and then before she knew it, she was laughing like crazy, and he had to hold her to steady her.

After a point, he realized that it was kinda funny, and he also joined in the laughter.

Oh, the things you do for your friends!

X-X-X

A/N: Coming up next, Sky's awkward date, and Z's blooming romance!


	10. Problems

A/N: Really sorry for the delay. Exams killing me. Hope this is good!

Chapter 10: Problems

Sky was in the gym. He was doing weights, and he was crazy strong. He could lift the heaviest dumbbells in the gym, and with no effort. But right now, he was sweating, and still going harder and harder and harder.

He was actually worried, and was trying to vent out his frustration on the poor gym equipments.

Z hadn't returned from her date yet, and he was dying to know how it had gone. It was really late, about ten fifteen, and all cadets had gone to bed, but the rangers, being rangers could stay up past curfew, aka ten o'clock. He wanted to know more about the guy, and had already appointed Bridge to dig up all the info he could on the guy. Easy job for a computer geek.

"how fucking long will he take?" Sky grumbled to himself.

But Bridge was gonna take his time, that son of a bitch. His own gay date was the next day, he was dreading it like anything, but he was really curious to see how it had gone with Z and Joseph, the professor.

He wanted it to go well. He really liked her, and wanted her to be happy, but in case there was anything, even the tiniest thing about that guy, that was wrong, it was Sky's duty to protect her, and he would. That was why he had asked Bridge to do so. Well, only time would tell, and as for his relationship with her, he wasn't worried, at most, the sex would stop. They had come closer than ever, and he didn't think they would ever drift apart now. They were friends with benefits at the time, but worse come worse, they'd just be friends. Hey, what'd be the problem?

"and that's Sky." He heard Z's voice and turned around, distracted to drop the hella heavy weights on his own feet, he yelped.

Damn. That'd be one heck of a first impression.

Joseph was standing with Z, and apparently, Z was introducing him to her best friend.

"hi!" Sky said, with tears in his eyes, which he was trying to brush away, but the pain was too much.

Z rushed to help him, and the two of them together lifted the weights.

"hi!" Sky said again, a little out of breath.

"hello!" Joseph replied, "I'm Joseph."

"I know, I mean, Z told me. Hi," he said, again, not knowing what to say.

"so, man, you like sports?"

"nah, not really, I mean, I can do badminton, but that's just because Z says." He said.

"he's not really good at it though! Big screw up, like with the weights" Z 'complimented', smirking.

"come on Z, not in front of a guest!" Sky said, nudging Z playfully.

And she chuckled, and stepped on his foot, which was already hurting and he yelped.

"ooopsie!" Z said, not sorry at all.

"I'm gonna get you for that the moment I heal!" Sky said, yelling as Z grinned and ran away from him as he limped towards her like an old man, growling "I'll get you next time" while Joseph watched the whole drama and felt a pang of jealousy when he saw how close this guy was to Z? They looked like little kids. Playing.

"I'm going to leave now" Joseph said, a little uncomfortable, and Z gave up his chase on Sky, and came back to him, she gave him a little kiss on his cheek, and asked, "when can I see you next?"

"how about Tuesday?"

"not gonna work, I have night watch," she replied, a little sad.

"Thursday?" he offered again, and she ran a mental check, she had an arcade date with Sky, but Sky could understand, right?

"perfect!" Z said, grinning.

"well, see you then" Joseph said, and then he left.

Sky, who had been listening to their convo, leapt up from behind the moment he went out of earshot.

"not cool Z! Thursday's our arcade night!" he said.

"I know Sky, and I promise I'd make up for it. I mean I did give it up on Tuesday right? He'd have felt bad if I refused again" Z replied, "please understand Sky, I really like this guy"

"alright, but I'm trading night watch with Bridge then" he replied.

"not a problem" Z replied, and they didn't know what to do, kiss? Hug? In the end, Z leapt up on him, why? Lust.

He was taken by surprise, but he handled himself well, and caught her, and lifted her off the ground, placing her on one of the equipments, and they were just about to discard their last bits of underwear when Bridge walked in.

"guys, I know I ship you and all, but I don't need to see this stuff! And aren't you supposed to be dating a guy?" he said, taken aback.

"Bridge what are you doing here? I don't think anybody except Sky can actually be in gym at" she checked her watch, realized she wasn't wearing one; "this late" she ended up saying, then added, to his other question, "and we haven't officially started dating yet, it was just one date, so I think we'd end it once it's official" Sky felt a pang of pain to hear that, but he knew he had this coming.

"I came to give Sky the info he requested." He said, left it on another equipment, and left.

"info?" Z asked.

"yeah" Bridge had slipped out of the gym, Sky looked uncertain, Z got off of Sky, and went to check out the papers, and Sky said, "Z stop! don't see them"

"what are you doing Sky Tate." She said, going through the papers.

"I was… nothing. Z, that's nothing," she turned to look at him, furious,

"you were digging up dirt on JOSEPH? What the hell is wrong with you? He's my boyfriend!"

"he isn't your boyfriend, you just said you weren't officially dating!" he said. They looked stupid standing in the gym, half naked, in their underwear, almost arguing with each other.

"whatever he is, you have no right for doing this!" Z said.

"I'm NOT sorry!" he said, "I want to know if he's right for you or not! If he breaks your heart I'm gonna twist him into a pretzel!"

"I don't need you acting like a brother! I already have a brother!" she replied.

"well, your brother sure as hell isn't doing his job!" Sky said.

"that doesn't put you in the place to take his fucking job! You are not my brother Sky!"

"then what am I to you? I'm not your boyfriend, I'm not your brother, I'm not your best friend! Then who am I Z? To you?" he asked, his face turned red.

She left without replying.

Took her clothes, and left.

A/N: too rude? I know, I write stuff on impulse.


	11. Secrets

Chapter 11: Secret

He didn't swap the night watch with Bridge, and since Bridge caught fever at the last minute, Z Delgado found herself sitting alone in the cold command centre.

Winter had set its course, but it wasn't 'sweater' cold just yet.

The metallic HQ was literally freezing, even in this mild weather, and night was even worse.

She recalled everything that had happened last Saturday. She felt really bad for it. She wasn't a five-year-old little girl, who had to be taken care of and spoon-fed. She was twenty-two and more than capable of taking care of herself. But Sky had been looking out for her, and as he said, her 'brother' Jack wasn't definitely doing it, so why had she been so mad? She hadn't spoken to him since, and that was really unsettling given how close they had gotten to each other.

"hey Z." she heard a voice, and turned to see Syd coming towards her.

"Syd? Here so late?" Z asked, not wanting to speak to her.

"why are you here alone?" she asked.

"Bridge had night duty with me, he dropped out. now answer mine"

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to find someone else who couldn't"

"how does that lead you to me? I'd sleep if I had the chance."

"alright, full disclosure, I was looking for you." She said, and then as an afterthought, added, "I saw Sky, he seemed quite off."

"big surprise" Z mumbled to herself,

"what?" Syd asked,

"nothing" Z brushed her off.

"seriously Z, I noticed something is off. And I think it's something related to the two of you"

"nothing is off. Why did you want to see me?" Z asked, changing the topic, and Syd was happy the topic was back on her.

Syd kept staring at Z for a while and then said, "Z, I know you're addicted!" she suddenly said out loud, and Z couldn't be more confused.

"what are you talking about? What am I addicted to?"

"you're a drug addict!" Syd said, matter-of-factly.

"I'm…" she a paused, "I'm a drug addict?" she said, very slowly. She looked at her expectantly, and then burst out laughing. In fact, she laughed so much, that she had to grip the command centre table to steady herself. She wiped the tears off her eyes, and repeated, "you're saying that I take drugs?"

"why is that so funny?" Syd asked,

"because I've never taken drugs in my life" Z replied.

"I can contradict you." Syd said, sassily.

"really? How?" Z asked, crossing her hands.

"I found this, hidden behind your bed!" Syd said, showing her a cocaine packet.

"what?" she took the packet and carefully examined it, what was cocaine doing behind her bed? Wait, what was Syd doing behind her bed?

"what were you doing behind my bed?" Z asked.

"I was just… alright, full disclosure, Jack and I were fucking in your bed because mine was just too perfect to you know, ruin it and yours is always a mess, and my hand sorta reached down there while I was you know, on the bottom…" Syd said meekly.

"EEWWW…. Gross" Z said, thinking that she and Sky had done the same stuff there. EEEEWWWWWW… wait, Sky!

"this is not mine! It's Sky's!" she said, and Syd looked at her, shocked, "did I say that out loud?" Z asked shocked.

"what is Sky's Cocaine doing behind your bed? Moreover, why is the Cocaine Sky's?"

Z had no answer to either of the questions. She couldn't tell Syd that she and Sky had been in the exact same position there as her and Jack, and maybe the cocaine would've fallen out of his pocket while they stripped each other's clothes off. But she didn't know why Sky would have Cocaine. The only reason could be that he was a drug addict. But if he was, why hadn't he told her? She thought they shared everything! But apparently that wasn't the case.

"you know what, I'm just shifting the blame here and there, these are rightfully mine, yes, I decided that I should try something new, and I thought what better than doing Cocaine?" she hastily covered up.

"I don't believe you" Syd said, in a huff.

"why not?"  
"lot of reasons actually."

"give me one."

"you laughed hysterically, you didn't believe it, you didn't accept it, until Sky was dragged into the conversation. This just strengthens my idea that something is up with you two. This can mean only that you two were or are secretly dating," then Syd considered the idea for a minute, paused to think, and then burst out laughing, "sorry, I didn't realize what I had said before it came out of my mouth. He's Hitler Tate, the rulebook monitor, and you're you know, Z Delgado. You two go together like oil and… what's that other thing?"

"water?" Z supplemented,

"no, I just had a glass." Syd said, dumb girl.

"anyway, something is up, and I'm more than ready to find out about it." she said, and then walked off saying, "I'ma getcha Z Delgado," and when Z called after her, "SYD!", she yelled, "trying to make a dramatic exit here!" and she was gone.

Leaving Z alone in the cold command centre again.

Was Sky addicted to cocaine? Why didn't Z know about it? She would've known if there were drugs somewhere. Heck, there were drug detectors in the academy! He couldn't have gotten away with it, unless he went outside to do it. But Sky was always there in the academy. What was she missing? Was Sky seriously so closed up still? This seemed to be the first skeleton out of his closet. She'd have to uncover the rest. Because if she left Syd to do it, she was sure to find out about their relationship.

A/N: High-level teenage drama. I ask myself, where the heck is popcorn? And so, does Sky actually smoke? Or is it all Syd's plan? Let me know what you think in the reviews


	12. Snooping

**Chapter 12: Snooping**

Sky Tate was assigned a mission at the SPD station downtown, and so, he left immediately after seven in the morning, and wasn't going to return before seven or eight in the evening. This meant that it was the perfect time for Z Delgado to snoop around her friend's room.

She borrowed a key from Bridge, on the promise that she'd stick to Sky's part of the room, and not snoop around his stuff. Yes, it was against the academy rules (rule 486-B) to enter another cadet's apartment without the cadet's permission, but Z had never been a stickler for rules, right? That was Sky's job, and he too seemed to be off of it lately. It wasn't really like Sky Tate, the rulebook monitor, to just hook up with his teammate. But something was different with him these days. Ever since he'd become the red ranger, he had loosened up. He participated in all team activities, and was pretty amazing at them too. Maybe achieving his target had made him decide he needed some time off? Enjoy the fruit of his hard work. Or maybe he had always been like this, which was more probable. She remembered Dru, Sky's ex-best friend, telling them that he used to be wild and whacky at a time. Maybe he had gotten so caught up in his rat race to become the red ranger that he forgot to have fun. She felt still, that she was close to him, but not close enough. Physical intimacy, aka sex, wasn't the same as being close to him. She was going to find out all his secrets, no matter how fucking wrong it was to do.

'I'm in his room' Z thought, 'without him'

She searched around for incriminating evidence (I'm watching too many cop shows no?), and finally found something.

It was a box, a small box, about twice the size of her palm. It had the initials 'S.T.' engraved on it in the color blue. Yes, blue, not red. That was really strange, considering he had been obsessed with red all his life.

She tried to open it, but it was locked. She rummaged around for keys, but none could be found that actually opened it. She did however come across about four different bunches, bound by DC key-chains. Sky really seemed to like the DC universe.

Nope she wasn't able to open it in the end. She did go through some other stuff she found. Just random CDs, DVDs, comics, a bunch of BBC Earth documentaries on the Aurora Australis, which was strange, Aurora Borealis was more known; then she found some folders with random drawings. She knew Sky liked to draw, but she didn't know he drew so well. There were sceneries, paintings, crayons, oil paintings etc. he had told her that when he was sixteen, he had won an international art competition. He had beautiful paintings, about six or seven, on the Auroras. He sketched canvases covered in snow, and highlighted them with light blue color pencils. He only used paints in doing the sky. It was marvelous, how amazing the landscape looked.

Then there were sketches of people, so well drawn that they could recognize who it was. There were those of Jack, playing soccer, which was strange, Z thought, because she was the only one who knew that Jack could play soccer. Then there were those of Bridge, standing upside down, and Z wondered whether Bridge had posed for it. There were a few others of Bridge, which were perfectly random moments. There was Syd, in her birthday dress, her hair looking beautiful, and others of Syd, just being Syd.

Z went through the sketches of the people, hoping she'd find one of her own, but it wasn't there. There were people she didn't know, celebs, Kat, Boom, Cruger, Dru, blah blah and blah, but not Z.

She felt really bad that he hadn't drawn her, like he was close to everyone but her, whom he had seen at her most vulnerable.

All in all, Z couldn't find ANYTHING that could tie in Sky with Cocaine.

He was Sky Tate, and doing cocaine didn't seem like his thing. But then again, he could carry the thing with him, right? Why leave evidence.

She gingerly put everything back to where she had found it so nobody would notice it, especially Sky wouldn't. Plus he'd be mad if he found out she had gone through his private stuff, and then she exited.

She went to find Syd, who was doing arranging the files in the cabinet according to names of the victims.

"hey Syd" Z said, and to her surprise, Sydney turned around in glasses. It was strange.

"glasses?" she pointed out.

"they're antiglare, not even mine," she said, taking them off with style, "I just thought I look hotter like this"

Z considered this for a moment, then nodded.

"whose are they?"

"Bridge"

"Bridge has glasses?"

"he works on the computer a lot" she said.

"wait, why are we discussing this? Syd I wanted to tell you I did a little sneaking around and I found some of Sky's stuff, but there was nothing related to Cocaine, Xanax, morphine, heroin or any other sort of drugs, or anything relating to the drugs. Unless you're counting the take drugs detectors in the room, coming to think of which, how would he even pass off doing Cocaine if there are take drugs detectors in SPD?"

"why don't we just ask Sky?" Syd asked, simple question, but Z couldn't say that she was not talking to him right now, or their secret might be out. For some reason, Z felt Syd had to be the person with whom she had to be the most careful of. There was no telling what the blonde might do…

But still, anyway, Z accompanied her when she said she wanted to inspect Sky's room herself. Z hadn't found any incriminating evidence there tying him to Z, so Z figured it'd be safe. Syd accompanied Z to his chambers and did the search.

"looks like he hates you" she said when she realized there were no sketches of Z,

"I figured"

"look at me, he's drawn me at my prettiest, and I look SSOOO adorable! I'm starting to think he has a crush on me" she said, blushing.

"really Syd? You see a hundred paintings, and what catches your notice is YOU?" Z looked at her with slanted eyebrows.

"what? I'm catchy" she said.

"and full of yourself"

"I heard that"

"well I said it out loud!" she replied back sassily.

Syd put her hands up in the air, and said, "I'm done with this place, it's messy, it smells boyish, and I've seen myself! So Z, here's a thought, why don't you clean up? And I'll meet you in my room?"

"you can't just leave me like that!" Z said, and as Syd walked out, she yelled, " it's OUR room Syd" and then grudgingly got back to the task at hand, because if she didn't do it, Sky would know someone had been in his room and would go mad!

She checked her watch; it was about six, still an hour until Sky would arrive. Those cases downtown took forever!

She quickly got to the cleaning up, putting everything back to where it was. Z was surprised that Syd wasn't at all fazed by the idea of what the locked box's contents might be. How could someone be so uninterested?

Suddenly, she heard a sound and froze.

"Z?" the voice was of betrayal, of broken trust.

She stood up, shaking, and turned around to face Sky Tate, his face flushed red, "Sky, I can exp—"

"what are you doing here?" he asked, calmly, sitting down on his bed.

"aren't you supposed to be gone for like an hour more?"  
"I solved the case an hour back, took me an hour to reach here with the traffic, or I'd been here earlier. You shouldn't be here."

"I know Sky"

"well, then why are you? And why do you have MY stuff on the floor?"

"Sky seriously, I can explain!"

"I don't wanna hear it, you've broken academy rule 486-B, I don't think I need to recite it cuz you know, you're a quick study"

"are you gonna report me to Cruger?"  
"no, you're my friend I can't do that to my friend, but clearly, you don't feel the same way, having to snoop around my room"

"Sky—"

"please leave Z," he said, cutting across her statement.

"but Sk—"

"I said please leave. I want some alone time"

and with that, he roughly pushed her out of the door, and locked it. very rude of him, Z thought, but then again, she hadn't exactly been the epitome of niceness by snooping around his room either, right?

Their friendship was in a fix! First with him looking up Joseph, and now with her messing around with his stuff! Both of them would have to do something about it, and fast, because cracks grow exponentially.

* * *

A/N: I know I kinda compressed a lot in one chapter, but I didn't want to drag it. I want this fic to keep its lightweight theme.

love or hate?


	13. Wut?

Chapter 13: Wut?

Sky Tate was just awkward. He was at a fancy restaurant, on a date, with a guy.

Yeah.

He was Joseph's cousin, Brian. He was handsome, and Sky was sure that had he been gay, he'd be drooling all over him. He had the physique of a star athlete, looks of a charming actor and he knew how to handle himself. He knew how to speak very well, and for a moment, even Sky forgot he was straight.

He seriously had no idea what gay dates were like. Were they like the normal ones? It seemed that way, and he knew that his date had also figured out that something was wrong, as he was sure he was fidgeting like anything.

"can I get you something?" the waiter asked, and Sky wondered whether he should just let him order, or should he order himself, this was super weird. I think we had already established that. What was he supposed to do now?

his date looked at him, wondering the same thing. But then, finally, (out of pity, Sky was sure) ordered something for both of them. Then he leaned over the table, and Sky got chills wondering if he was supposed to kiss him, but to his relief, he said something, which when Sky couldn't comprehend, gestured him to come closer.

Sky obediently followed.

"you're straight, right?" he asked and Sky was taken by surprise.

"wut? I mean what?"

"you're not gay" he commented, as if convinced.

"no, I—I am" he stuttered, knowing it might just destroy Z's relationship, and though as tempting that was, he couldn't do that to his best friend.

"come on man, you reek straight." He sat back, "why are you pretending?"

"I'm not…" he sounded unsure of himself.

"right. Come on man, I won't kill you. Tell me why are you pretending?"

"all right" Sky finally gave in, "you know Joseph, your cousin?" he nodded, "he's dating my best friend, and I don't want him to get some sorta insecure and break it off with her just because her best friend is a guy. So I told her to tell him that I was not into girls, and well… he set me up with you"

"Aaaaawwww" Brian went, "that's such a sweet thing to do!"

"what we don't do for our friends." Sky smiled, the his expression darkened, "you won't tell him though right?"

"of course I won't!" he chuckled, "I'll just say he's not my type, and it didn't work out" he smiled.

"thanks man"

"anytime! Oh, and please enjoy this, I wouldn't want you to be awkward on your first gay date" he grinned, and Sky joined.

So, after that, they had dinner like friends, and well, all was just great. They parted as friends, promising to keep in touch.

X-X-X

Z's date meanwhile had gone pretty well, the second one too, they had gone to a movie, and while returning, they had kissed a pretty intense kiss, it could be called, and he had asked her, "you wanna maybe come over to my place?"  
She had replied, "I don't sleep with guys before the fifth date" adding in her mind, the exception of the guy she hadn't gone out on a single date.

"okay then, I can't wait for the fifth date!" he said, and happily trotted off.

X-X-X

Back at the SPD base, Z and Sky were still not talking to each other properly. Sky just handed her her assignments on paper, and they didn't even meet each other's eyes. Maybe they were ashamed of something. Syd, Daniel and Bridge couldn't figure out what was wrong in the name of God, and Sky and Z refused to tell, claiming every time that everything was just fine.

After the date, it was Friday, and Syd had been assigned patrol duty with Syd, and the girls were simply bored in the SPD jeep, waiting for something to happen, driving around bored.

"what do you think?" Syd asked.

"about what?" Z asked in reply.

"the Cocaine?"

"I don't know Syd" Z admitted,

"you thought they might be Sky's. Any specific reason?"

"he frequented our room very often." Z said, and Syd couldn't but help notice the past tense.

"so did Daniel and Bridge. You think it might be theirs?"

"Bridge?" Z looked at Syd, completely ridiculing, "seriously Syd, come out into the real world." she scoffed.

"Daniel?"

"he did come to your room after your date"

"how do you know about that?!" Syd was appalled.

"he told us. Wait, I wasn't supposed to know about it?" Z asked, confounded.

"I'm so sick of these guys!" Syd said, "I told him that since this thing with us didn't work out, I didn't want our team-mates knowing about it"

"why exactly did it not work out?" Z asked, "he said he had annoyed you with his dance moves."

"yea, that's what I told him too, truth is though that he just kept eyeing me weirdly, you know? Like I was some lab specimen" Z said.

"ok…"

"and besides, when he came to my room, we didn't have sex! And definitely not on your bed! It has to be one of your 'visitors'," Syd eyes Z curiously, the word 'visitor' in air-quotes.

"nope, I haven't had a 'visitor' in quite a while" Z said, but then thinking that Syd had been honest about fooling around with Jack in her bed, she also deserved to know a little secret.

"okay, I guess I had a 'visitor' at the night of the party, and we did it in your bed."

"EEEEWWWWW I slept in that bed!" Syd completely freaked out, while Z chuckled.

Then, steadying herself, Syd said, with a perfectly perfect Sydney Drew face, "you now, I'm fucking sick of guys" Z looked at her curiously, "I think I'm gonna date myself for while. No drama!"

Z looked at her disbelieving, and then burst into laughter.

"what? I'm serious!" but Z didn't stop laughing.

"right" Z said, picturing Syd going on a date all by herself, but considering this was Syd, it was quite likely she might execute it perfectly.

"Oh shuddup!" Syd said, annoyed, and sitting back in her seat.

X-X-X

"Bridge Carson we need to talk" Z said, yanking Bridge to his feet by his collar, and dragging him out.

"someone needs to cool down" Sky commented to no one in particular at the little scene.

"Bridge," Z said, once they were out of Sky's earshot.

"yes ma'am" he said, then realizing what he had said, "sorry Z, there was something you wanted? or maybe needed? Or maybe you just wanted to talk? But did you have to drag me out you could've possibly asked me nicely, or taken my hand, which though would also be quite inappropriate, considering thi—"

"Bridge! Breathe!" Z said, trying to contain her frustration.

"do you think that maybe Sky can… take drugs?" she asked.

"WuT?" (that's where Sky had learnt it from)

"I found a packet of Cocaine and it's probable that they're Sky's" Z said, quietly, placing a hand on Bridge's mouth preventing another outburst.

"just tell me what you think." Then added, sharply, "quietly"

"mmbbbeeewwww" he mumbled, and Z released the gag.

"I don't think that's possible in the least Z. I mean I know a lot of Sky's weird and strange habits, but doing Cocaine? Nada I say"

"what weird habits?"

"already said too much, so I'm gonna shut up now, but just know that it isn't Sky. I know him." he said, and then practically ran off.

"don't tell Sky!" Z shouted afterwards and he raised a hand as if saying 'signal-received' and turned around the corner. Z breathed a sigh of relief.

"don't tell me what?" a voice asked from behind, and Z was surprised to find herself face to face with Sky Tate, looking strangely… disheveled.

* * *

A/N: Good or bad?


	14. Confessing

**Chapter 14: Confessing**

"Sky?" Z tried to appear nonchalance, pretending there was nothing to discuss.

"don't tell me what, Z?" Sky repeated.

"Sky, I—uh—I" she stuttered, "how much did you hear?" she finally asked.

"just you yelling 'don't tell Sky!' to Bridge."

"oh"

"don't tell me what?" Sky repeated for the third time.

"it's nothing Sky" Z put a hand on her forehead.

Z saw Sky getting irritated, then an expression of hopelessness passed and then he spoke, "I get it, Z, you know? I get it, okay? I'm done, I'm fucking done with you. You want to snoop around my room? Do it. You want to keep secrets from me? Do it. You want to never talk to me? Do it Z. I'm done." He just turned around, and left.

Z couldn't just let Sky just walk away like that, because if she did, nothing would ever be the same again.

"SKY wait!" she cried out.

And he stopped.

He didn't turn around immediately, he stood there a few minutes, and then, finally, slowly, heavily, he turned around.

"what?" he asked.

"Sky, I'll tell you everything." She said.

He sighed and came back to her, and looked at her expectantly.

"Sky, I know I should've come to you right after what happened, I'm sorry I didn't." she said,

"I'm sorry too, for all the info I did on Joseph. I shouldn't have done that without your permission. He's a nice guy, and so is his cousin, Brian, you're lucky." He also apologized, a little desolately.

"Sky, can we talk somewhere a little private?" she asked looking towards some D-squad cadets passing.

"my room?" he asked.

"okay" Z agreed.

Sky opened the door, and switched on the lights, letting Z in, and then locked it.

"so?" Sky asked, sitting on the bed, kicking off his shoes.

"okay" she brought out the packet of Cocaine, and sowed it to him, "Syd found this tucked away under my bed" Sky took it and examined it, "it's not mine, of course, as she thought, since she had brought it to my notice, it can't be hers,"

"so you thought it might be mine, because I'm the only one who fucked with you on the bed" Sky said connecting the dots, "and that's why you snuck into my room: to know for sure whether I actually do drugs or not"

"yeah, it occurred to me, but you know, you're you. I just couldn't believe it. I had to see it for myself. And as you know, I found nothing."

Sky smiled, sadly, "I'm sorry" she said again, "I should've trusted you"

"you know Z, I would've told you about my addiction if I had had one. The only addiction I have is you." Sky said, and the moment he did, he regretted it.

"you wh—?" she looked confused, uncomprehending.

"I was just kidding. How can you get addicted to a person?" he asked, and grinned, nervous.

"I'm really sorry too. I should respect your choices, and not act as an overprotective brother"

"that's fine, you were just looking out for me, which is what I should expect from you" Z grinned, and sat by him on the bed.

"I'd like to keep you safe from any sort of heartbreaks, betrayals, or anything that might make you sad. I want you to be happy, and I guess I got so caught up making sure others did, forgot to do it myself."

"I really missed you these days," she said, smiling at his gentle words

"we're back on right?" he asked.

She looked at him curiously, and then said, "absolutely" and kissed him; he kissed her back passionately.

"Aren't you cheating on him?" he asked, breaking the kiss for a moment that seemed like eternity.

"you're my friend, he's my boyfriend, I don't see a comparison. How would I be cheating on him?" Z asked, innocently.

"you're right" he shrugged, and kissed her again, she pressed his chest with her hands and made his lie back on the bed, climbing on top of him, still kissing him.

he opened her mouth to let her tongue in, and as their tongues danced together inside their mouths, his hands made their way down her back, and inside her shirt, and yanked it off, breaking their kiss for a moment, and then went back to it. Their clothes kept coming off, more than one at a time, and they moaned and groaned as they had sex again, after a LONG while.

They were lying together in bed, after like two hours of intense sex, both too tired to get up and get dressed and go to work. He had night duty, and she had already done her patrol duty. This was the time they were supposed to be with the team, 'bonding' according to Cruger, so technically they were using the time optimally.

"if you don't take drugs and I don't take drugs and Syd doesn't take drugs, then who does?" Z asked him as she felt his warm fingers caressing her naked body.

"how did Syd find something tucked under YOUR bed?"

"she and Jack had sex there"

"WHAT? WE WERE IN THAT BED!" now it was Sky's turn to freak out.

"yikes. Big surprise" Z said, sarcastically.

"okay, okay," he calmed down, cringing a little, "it wasn't me, it wasn't you, it wasn't Syd, so it HAS to be the fourth person there. Aka Jack"

"Jack? You don't think he's gotten addicted to doing Cocaine right?"

"it can only be him. I'm sorry to break this to you Z, but Jack has changed. Maybe it's Ally, maybe it's going away from you, or maybe it's some new company"

"why Sky? Why's he so—" Z couldn't finish the statement. New Tech City had a zero tolerance policy for doing Cocaine and drugs. Wasn't, except a few newer types of it. There was a rumor, that a new alc that was going around was called 'Vrymanol' a new carbon compound, five shots could knock you out, fifteen shots could kill you. Now THAT was banned.

So basically, doing any sort of drugs was illegal for humans and humanoids (like Dru) and to all the species that might get harmed by the consumption.

Yeah.

Jack was involved in something illegal. Again. What a HUGE surprise.

A/N: I know I had made the whole thing about cigarettes n smoking initially, but then I thought it was a little too kiddish, seeing the frequency with which people smoke, n decided to make it a full on drug-arc. So, i went back and updated all the chapters. Drugs are illegal even today.


	15. Date

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Exams next week, so the next update would be even later! Power Rangers and Carve the Mark don't belong to me, (wouldn't mind if they did)

* * *

**Chapter 15: Date**

It was three weeks after Sky and Z had discovered about Jack and his drug addiction. Sky and Z had refrained from talking to Jack, Syd, Bridge or anyone about the info. After all, they weren't responsible for him, they figured. They had kinda shut the whole thing down, not wanting to defame Jack. Z had still gone on more dates with Joseph, and this night, she had her fifth date. That fateful fifth date.

"how's my amiga?" Sky asked, popping his head up in Z and Syd's room. Z turned around to look at him, she was wearing a really pretty, glittered black skirt, which reached her lower thighs, and had a yellow bow at the side of the waist. She was wearing a black top, with yellow and silver striped sleeves. She looked really breathtaking, a little too pretty, and Sky couldn't help envy Joseph.

"wow!" he said, grinning, "just wow!"

"what are you doing here?"

"I got you something, you know, for the special fifth date" she slanted his eyes,

"come on in" she gestured, and he went in, and asked her to close her eyes, and then, he went behind her, she heard a series of rustling noises.

"Sky, what is it?" she felt something cold touch her hair.

"look in the mirror" he said, and she turned to the mirror, and saw a really pretty hair-band placed neatly in her hair. It was silver, with a metallic star on the left side. She looked beautiful in it.

"how did you know silver would match with my dress?" she asked.

"you love silver. More so than yellow, so I guessed" he smiled.

"you know me so well" she chuckled, and ruffled his hair.

"I just want your date to go well. I want you to be happy. Even if it means our 'benefits' are ending" Sky replied, grinning.

"hey, don't worry, we'll still be best friends." She smiled.

"so it's official right? We're just friends from now on." he asked, a little sad.

"best friends." She replied, "and yeah, it is kinda official, not saying that I'm very happy about it though"

"yeah, anyway, you should be getting ready, I'm gonna leave now. All the best!" he forced a smile, and got up to leave.

She got up, and gave him a soft kiss, "I had to do this one last time." She said, he grinned, "I'll tell you all about the date"

"I'll be waiting!" he smirked, and left.

X-X-X

The date had been everything she had wanted and more. She loved every moment of it, and felt like she might just be falling in love. Joseph was there, perfectly on time; he was wearing a white tee and blue jeans, casual, yet somehow very charming. His hair were brushed back and gelled, and his eyes twinkling. He knew this was the night.

"you look elegant" he complimented her.

"thank you" she replied smiling.

Then they had sat down to have dinner; they had decided to keep the fifth date a dinner date. They laughed, they joked, they were nervous, both of them, even after four dates, but in a cute, romantic kinda way. He had a question, which he had restrained from asking since he had met her, but today he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer.

"hey Z, how is it that you were single? I mean a girl as amazing as you can't be single, like meant for me, cuz well… you're more or less perfect." He said, nervously.

"I'm not… perfect" she said, squinting a little, amused.

"I don't see the imperfections"

"so you assume there's more than one?" she asked, trapping him in his words, and he blushed awkwardly.

"you're very smart." He complimented, not it was her turn to blush awkwardly.

This way, they chatted and over all, had a great time together. Then finally came the end of the night, as they exited the restaurant, he planted a short kiss on her lips, while she hung on to his arm and he asked,

"wanna head back to my place?" Joseph sounded more excited than nervous now.

"how about we go back to SPD?" she asked.

"I don't think your roommate would be okay with that" he said, and Z paused to consider Syd, and well, he had a point. She'd have to displace Syd.

"alright, your place" she agreed.

And so they drove to his place, in his car, and it was a petit apartment, well kept, neat, and overall had a pleasant feeling to it. the furniture was a little undersized for the place, but gave a lot of free room, except the queen size bed.

They began kissing as they entered the bedroom; he switched on the lights as he went, the dim ones he chose, not the bright LED, to give a sort of romantic environment. He let his hands wander down her back, caressing her ass, and she opened her lips to let his tongue enter her mouth. She then pushed him back on the bed, climbing on top of him as he got to work removing her clothes…

X-X-X

Sky Tate tossed and turned in bed that night. For some reason, he just couldn't get Z out of his mind. All he could think about was his best friend with this guy, Joseph, right now. his mind wandered to what all they might be doing, and then at the images in his mind, he gave himself a mental slap, and whimpered "ouch!" he had involuntarily slapped himself. But, he told himself, you deserve it, thinking of your best friend like that!

He got up, unable to lie awake in bed for too long, and quietly crept out of the bed. SPD was eerily quiet. There wasn't a soul in sight, the lights were dim, (on power saving mode at nights) and the halls were deserted. Sky thought he'd look for some company, but then again, there weren't many people in SPD who could actually withstand his company. There was Bridge, who was snoring so loud tha it made Sky's ears ring, there was Z, who was probably fucking with her new boyfriend, and then there was Daniel, who Sky had come to really like. Sky didn't count Syd in this list because she was quite obnoxious and he just culdn't stand her, even if she could stand him. She was just too… pink and puffy.

He decided to venture out of the academy, something he could do as the top squad's red ranger with his ID. (Lower level cadets weren't allowed to leave grounds after lights out.)

He trudged along slowly in one of the dark streets of New Tech City and he realized for the first time what a shady place it was outside the city. It was strange how it all looked so nice and calm in the daylight. It wasn't exactly calm. This was the oriental market, perhaps Bridge's favorite hang of all time. It was a sort of cultural market from the eastern countries like Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Nepal, India Myanmar and other oriental places. It was fun, coming with Bridge at times and look at him going crazy going through different eastern artifacts and stuffs. What he loved the most were he weird oil lanterns, which made their room glow eerily when he lit them up. For some reason the Egyptians also set up their stalls in the street. Few streets across, there was the planetary market, actually, the planetary market of the Currentstream Solar System. That was personally Sky's favorite solar system. After his own, of course, he grinned at the thought, and made his way to the current street, as they called it.

There were stalls from all eleven nations in the street, and Sky remembered by name, where all the stalls were. That was how frequently he visited this place. This was a secret he hadn't told anyone. Bridge knew of course. He thought if he should take Z here. She'd like it, she'd really love it; hey, the next time he got free time with her, he'd take her to the Currentstream Street.

She'd love the perfume essences from Essander, the mysterious magical dances of Ogra, the Thuvhesit ice-flowers, the fenzu lights from Shotet, and the sweet altos arva fruit from Trella.

Sky personally loved the small useless tiny objects from Othyr. It reminded him of his dad. He loved to collect small souvenirs from his fondest memories. Like used tickets from the first time he had taken his mm out to a fair, and other small stuffs. Sky had continued the tradition after his dad passed, but he didn't have many fond memories to collect. With Z as his best friend though, he had started to enjoy things like this, and started collecting too.

All these thoughts in mind, Sky wandered around the empty streets of New Tech City. He still couldn't get Z off his mind.

X-X-X

Joseph dropped Z off back at SPD the next morning, around ten, and she made her way down to her room, skipping. She was so happy, she just couldn't stop smiling. She opened her door, and skipped inside, and locked the door, and squealed.

"someone's overjoyed!" she heard Syd say, and turned around, and squealed right in her face.

"hey I'm the one who squeals!" Syd grinned, and then hugged Z, "how was your date?" Syd asked, her voice as squeaky as Z!

so yeah, the girls sa and talked about the date, discussing practically everything about the date. then Z realized she hadn't seen Sky since morning, and so she went looking for him.

He was sitting in the common room, reading his manual, and the second he heard Z's voice, he discarded it, and looked up.

"Sky!"

"Z! you're back!"

"yeah," she came and slumped on the couch beside him, "so?" she was still smiling.

"how was your night?"

"we had sex" she said, like a bubbly kid.

"you're never this happy after fuckin with me" he said, pretended to be hurt.

"it's not you." She said, patting his arm, "it's just I've never had a long term boyfriend, generally, they just break-up with me after the fifth date. It really hurts you know, but it has never worked past the fifth date. But this went so awesome! I mean like… I think this will last" she was so happy!

Sky patted her arm, and gave her a hug, "it should. He seemed like a nice enough guy. I really hope it does. Then you'll name your kids after me!" he joked.

She laughed, "come on Sky! You know we'll be naming our daughter Schuyler and our son Sydney!"

He rolled his eyes, and then suddenly her phone rang, she picked itup, with a broad smile, and then her expression changed, from a smile to worry to shock, and finally to depression.

"what is it?" he asked her, tense.

"Joseph just broke up with me" she said, tears filling her eyes.

"oh Z" Sky felt anger rush though him, he was gonna get that guy! But right now, his friend needed him, and he was there for her. he hugged her tightly, and she sobbed into his shoulder. Hey, she always had him. If Joseph made her fall apart, he would mend her broken heart. He wouldn't let his best friend crash and burn.

* * *

A/N: Was it worth the wait? And don't forget Joseph yet, he's gonna come back.


	16. Rain

A/N: Carve the Mark and Power Rangers don't belong to me, but I love them both! And in case you don't understand anything like Zold and Shotet and all, don't worry, you can find it on Google, and it's not that important anyway. Also I know I've like completely deviated from the Friends with Benefits theme, but don't worry, I'll be getting back to it in the next chapter...  
One last thing: I'm sorry about the delay in the posts, but I'm having my exams right now. Today ws English, so i could squeeze out some time

* * *

Chapter 16: Rain

"you think it's the sex?" she asked, her face still buried in his chest.

"what?" he looked at her as she looked up at him.

"you think they break-up with me because I'm bad in bed?"

"you're awesome in bed! I know better than anyone," he said, proudly.

"don't joke Sky." She said warily. They were still sitting in the common room, half an hour or so after the call, and she had just stopped crying.

"no I'm dead serious! I think it's because they just want your body, and when they get that, they leave," he said.

"what should I do?"

"not have boyfriends?" he not-so-helpfully suggested,

"come on Sky, isn't that why we—" she gestured at the two of them, and lowered her voice, "—are whatever we are?"

"Z, that might be why we started, but I don't feel like it's just sex anymore"

"are you trying to say that—"

"don't say it. I'm not in love with you!" he cut her off before she could complete the sentence, "but I do care about you. I really do. Why do you think I went about the task of finding out this Joseph guy's history? Because I didn't want to see you hurt."

"yet here we are." She said, sadly.

"yes, here we are, together. Z you didn't like me doing that, so I never opened the file Bridge had given me." He explained.

"oh Sky" she said, almost bursting into tears again.

"hey, hey, hey, don't waste your precious tears on such assholes!"

that didn't seem to have any effect on her, so Sky took her face in his hands, and told her, matter-of-factly, "I'm gonna cheer you up today. Whether you like it or not" he gave his signature Sky Tate cocky face.

"oh Sky!" she whimpered, resting her head on his chest again.

"get up" he told her.

"huh?' she looked at him, confused.

"we're going out for a walk. Get up"

"but Sky—"

"I don't wanna hear it, get up" he said.

"okay" she got up, heavily.

"wipe your tears" he commanded.

"why?"

"because the red ranger says so"

"don't you try to pull your red ranger crap on me" she replied, sassily, somehow.

"see that's the Z Delgado I know" he grinned, "now wipe away those tears and promise me that you won't shed any more for that fucker."

She smiled, a little warily, but a genuine smile, to see that Sky cared so much for her. He truly was a real friend.

They headed out of the academy, Sky telling Z to tell Cruger that he and Z were taking leave for the day.

"you know, we had a thing when we were in middle school. At that time, we didn't use swears. Good kids you know" he chuckled, "I had a friend, she was also a girl, probably, the only girl I've ever been so close to, before you came along." He looked at her, "she had her heart broken by this jerk Rowan Greenblatt. I remember his name because I remember going through ten school records trying to find his class schedule so I could go and beat him up. That girl, her name was Bella, she wouldn't tell me because she didn't want me to do anything to him. anyway, to make her laugh, I decided to do something. She had a funny habit. She'd always giggle when she heard a swear word, so I formed a phrase, that fit accurately. Depends on how you think of it."

"what phrase?" Z asked, now curious, as they exited the academy gates.

"it was…" he paused, and then in an opera-like sing-song voice, he said, "fuck the fucking fucker before he fucks you"

she chuckled, "I don't know why that's so funny" she said.

"I don't know either." He grinned, and she punched his arm playfully.

"so, where are you taking me?" she asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"it's just a little round the corner." He said, pointing to said corner.

She looked at him curiously. She knew Sky once in a while left the grounds, but she seemed to have absolutely no idea where he went. He was a mystery that was still unfolding for her and she was realizing that beneath the surface, was a really beautiful guy, whom she was just starting to discover.

Anyway, they had just turned round the corner, and she saw, spreading out in front of her a million colors, as they made their way into the Currentstream market. It was beautiful, the view.

There were a lot of stalls, from different planets, many from one. Z knew it was the Currentstream market, but she didn't know much about the Currentstream. All she knew was that the galaxy lived powered by the current, which was a sort of energy source circling the galaxy. Everybody in the galaxy had their own 'gifts', which were more or less powers, like hers and Sky's. There were a lot of nation planets, and one of them wasn't a planet, but it was a nation. An exception maybe, and that was practically all the knowledge she had about this place.

"Z?" Sky called to her the third time, she was so lost in the views, she looked at him, and he said, "welcome to the market of the Currentstream. My favorite place in all of New Tech City, I always come here when I'm upset. This place hasn't failed once to cheer me up" he explained.

They dodged elbows on a narrow street where the buildings fell together like lovers, there were people dancing, singing. A woman adorned with fake jewels stopped me with a hand, and set a crown of fenzu flowers—named so because they were the same color as the insects' wings, blue gray—on her head, grinning, Z muttered a small thank you and gave her a beautiful smile.

He watched her as she smiled, and chuckled, as she looked around like a child at a fair. Everywhere there were low tents or booths with worn awnings, people arguing and young women touching their fingers to necklaces they couldn't afford.

They walked hand in hand down the aisle between the booths. Z paused at a table of plain knives—their blades weren't made of channeling material, so the current wouldn't flow around them—with carved handles. At least that's what Sky explained.

"Does the lady know how to handle a plain knife?" the old man at the booth asked Z in English. He wore the heavy gray robes of a Zoldan religious leader, with long, loose sleeves.

"Religious Zoldans used plain knives because they believe Currentblades are a frolicsome use of the current, which deserved more respect—the same basic belief as the most religious Shotet." Sky whispered, hoping Z knew the difference between Zoldan and Shotet. Thankfully she did.

"Better than you," Z replied, sassily, she heard Sky chuckle. Nobody can underestimate Z.

He talked to her about how the knives were made—from metal forged in the northern pole of Zold, and reclaimed wood from old houses in Zoldia City—and part of her was listening, but the other part was with Sky as he stared out at a shop, which had very bright feathers in a variety of colors hanging.

She bought a dagger from the old man, a sturdy one with a dark blade and a handle built for long fingers. She handed it to Sky; "huh?" he looked confused.

"just like that" she replied.

Sky scanned the market, once. Some of the vendors were covered head to toe in fabric, some bright and some dull; some wore tall headpieces to draw attention to themselves, or spoke in loud, chattering Shotet she hardly understood, because of the accents. Lights erupted from a booth at the end, showering the air in sparks that disappeared as quickly as they came. The woman standing behind it almost glowed for all the fair skin she showed. Another stand was surrounded by a cloud of insects so dense he could hardly see the man sitting at it. What use did anyone have for a swarm of insects, he wondered.

Standing on a nearby counter was a delicate instrument. It was an abstract shape, different from every angle, composed of tiny panes of an iridescent material that felt like something between glass and stone. He tapped one of the tiny panes, and a heavy music like sound came from the belly of the instrument. He ran his fingers over the rest, and they left music in their wake like waves. The melody was light, like his touch had been, but when he flicked one of the glass panels, drums sounded. Each panel seemed to glow with some kind of internal light.

"wow" she said, looking at him, and he smiled back at her.

"do you like this place?" he asked softly.

"I do, I really do." She whispered back, softly.

"then wait a minute," he said, very excited, and went over to another shop, and muttered something to another shopkeeper, and then rebounded back to her.

He raised his free hand up to the sky, a loud, sharp sound like the crack of a whip came from somewhere near, and veins of dark blue color spread from it in every direction, wrapping around the clouds themselves, or forming new ones. It was like ink dropped into water, separate at first and then mixing, blending together until the city was covered in a blanket of dark blue mist.

Then it started to rain blue.

He took her hand firmly, and turned his other palm to catch some of the blue. It was dark, and wherever it rolled across his skin, it left a faint stain. The people at the end of the alley were laughing and smiling and singing and swaying. Z's chin was tipped back. She gazed up, and then at her hand, at the blue rolling over her knuckles. Her eyes met his, he was laughing.

"Blue is my favorite color," he said, "Even though I wanted to be red, I've always loved the color blue. It's just a little too tranquil…"

"how?" she asked, awed.

"it's something you can request for. It takes place thrice a day, if you're lucky, your request is one of them. Any color you want" he grinned.

Then he took the palmful of blue water he had collected, and smeared it into her cheek, playfully, staining it darker. Z spluttered, spitting some of it on the ground. He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her reaction. She stuck out her hand, catching a stream of water rolling off a building's roof, and lunged it at him.

He sprinted down the alley, but not fast enough to avoid the cold water rolling down his back, with a childlike shriek. He caught her arm by the elbow, and they ran together, through the singing crowd, past swaying elders, men and women dancing too close, irritable off-planet visitors trying to cover up their wares in the market. They splashed through bright blue puddles, soaking their clothes. And they were both, for once, laughing.

Sky looked at Z, half of her face was darker blue than the other, while her hair were drenched in the rain, he thought that she looked beautiful, and as if on instinct, he leant in, just a little, and kissed her, softly, on the lips. It was different from all the other kisses they had shared, it was gentle, not loaded with sexual innuendo, and it was more on instinct. She didn't seem to mind, and moments later, when they parted, she smiled. It was just so different, Sky was sure he felt... something... but he pushed those thoughts away, she was his friend. He couldn't just think of her like that. (ironic?)

He had cheered her up. Finally.

* * *

A/N: So? did they look like they were having fun in the rain dance?


	17. Betrayal

A/N: The story's going back to it's original rating of M.

* * *

Chapter 17: Betrayal

Their outing had been so amazing, Z could not thank Sky enough. Though she was cursing under her breath while trying to scrub off the blue stain. Her skin had fucking absorbed it. She knew she and Sky would be looking 'blue' for the next few days. (I should be hanged for that line)

she wondered what the others would make of it. Would they maybe think they were involved in something? Or would they be out of suspicion?

Best thing was to wait for Syd, for she would immediately give the response that everyone would. She had no inside voice. Bridge would give some stupid interpretation like they were visited by aliens, and Cruger would probably scold them for going out and having too much fun, Kat would want to experiment on the dye, while Daniel would… wait, what would Daniel do?

Anyway, Z waited for Syd, and waited, and waited, but Syd never showed up. She didn't show up all night. Weird. It was about eight o'clock, and the rangers were heading out for supper, into the cafeteria.

"hey, what happened to you two?" Daniel asked, smirking when he saw the blue stained Sky and Z, "did you like act in Avatar or something?"

Avatar! Why hadn't she thought of that? Classic nerd Daniel.

"no Daniel, they obviously went to some other planet and got stuck in a water color rain!" Bridge explained, seemed like Sky hadn't explained it to him anything yet.

"No, you idiots" Sky grumbled from the back, apparently he was in a bad mood.

"Bridge IS kinda right" Z chuckled, "we went to the Currentstream market and got stuck in the blue rain there"

"really? Currentstream? Isn't it that galaxy where everybody has powers? It must be SOOO cool to have powers!" Daniel said, and Bridge replied with something else, equally stupid, looked like Bridge and Daniel got along well, talking about their geeky stuff. Z felt bored, and drifted out of their conversation, and focused her attention on Sky.

"hey" she said, and he forced a smile, "hey" he replied back.

"what's up? You look down"

"and you look pretty." He replied.

"what happened Sky?" Z asked, "you were so happy in the afternoon! You even made ME forget about Joseph, and my break-up!"

"yeah" he smiled, "you're not thinking about that fucker now, are you?" he asked.

"no, I'm not, really. What happened to you? Upset that you're looking like a Pandoran?" Z asked, joking.

"no, it's not that, it's just…" he trailed off, "can we talk when these two are not around" he asked, whispering.

"yeah, sure, but why not Bridge? he's your best friend"

"it's an issue he won't understand, we share a lot of stuff, but family issues aren't ones he gets. All he says is 'say sorry'. He won't get it" Sky explained.

"okay…" so it was a family issue… now Sky had helped her from her slump, so it was her turn to help him from his. I mean, that's what friends did, no?

And they all had supper in silence, listening to Bridge and Daniel argue about why Avatar part 3 never happened was very 'interesting'…

It was strange about how after seeing Sky spend all afternoon trying to cheer her up simply got Joseph off her mind. Z didn't get over break-ups well, never without a tub of ice cream at least, but with all Sky said and did, and everything, she had completely gotten that jerk off her mind. He had kissed her, and for some reason, Z felt like that kiss wasn't like the other ones they had shared, it was different. There was something different… but Sky was just her friend. They had made a pact, just sex, no feelings, and the feelings that did have were friendship, and she didn't want to jeopardize that. It was hard to build such an amazing friendship, and anything further than that was a risk not worth taking. No.

It was around ten thirty, and Z had received a call from Syd saying she was 'hung up' and wouldn't be showing up before the morning. That meant she could call Sky, and she did.

When she heard a knock on the door, ten minutes later, she opened it just a bit to let Sky in.

"Now tell me what happened." Z said, making him sit on the bed, and sitting on Syd's bed, right in front of her.

"I had an argument with my mom." He explained,

"what? why?" he rarely ever talked about his mother, and when he did, he was generally talking about his mom and dad together. Z was surprised, to hear him share. They had shared a lot of secrets, middle school, high school, football, part of college, from which he dropped out, but rarely ever his family.

"well…" she saw that he was uncomfortable.

"what is it Sky?"

"she said I should quit SPD and join business school."

"WHAT?"

"yeah, she said that I had served my time at SPD, I had also become a red ranger like my dad, and so there was no use of me remaining at SPD as my potential was already fulfilled." He explained.

"You declined right?" Z asked, afraid Sky might also leave SPD, under his mom's pressure; she didn't want him to leave.

"yes, I declined. I told her that I didn't want to leave SPD because practically my whole life is here. I don't just want to be red ranger, I want to do something…" he paused, and then quoted, "bigger"

Z smiled, relieved, and surprised to hear him say that.

"so you're not going right?"

"no, I'm firm on that, but my mother will keep pestering me about it until I agree, unless of course, if I stop talking to her." he explained.

"would she mind if someone else explained to her why you should stay here?"

"yeah? And who's gonna do that?" Sky asked, scoffing.

"I am" Z said, "that is, if you want me to… I can be very convincing, you know" she explained.

"really? I mean you'd really do that? For me?" he asked, sitting up, excited, he had seen Z being convincing, and it was just what his mother needed. Yellow ranger to yellow ranger right?

He hugged her, out of joy, and the prospect that there might be a chance that he doesn't need to leave SPD without ruining his relations with his mom. Z was that only chance, and it was a pretty great chance.

"now, let me cheer _you_ up Sky Tate" Z said, seductively, kissing Sky on the lips, placing her hand on his chest, pushing him back so that he lay back on the bedspread. Her hands then moved downwards, to his pants, which she did off, followed by yanking off his boxers, and his dick sprang up. She began massaging it, and then, took it in her mouth.

Sky threw his head back in pleasure. Was this happening? Was Z actually giving him a blowjob? Yikes! She was really good at it! He groaned wildly, squirming in his place, and then, he came, right in her lips. She brought herself up to his face again, and kissed him, and he could taste himself on her tongue. He had never felt so horny in his entire life.

All of a sudden, taken over by his urge, he turned them around, so that he was on top now, began kissing her neck as she moaned in pleasure, while his hands were busy taking off her clothes. They had the room to themselves all night, so they fucked with abandon, knowing they weren't going to be disturbed.

Almost more than six hours later, Sky collapsed on top of the girl, completely spent, and delirious, breathing heavily, and completely drenched in sweat. Neither knew what to say or what to do, they had never, ever gone all out like this, and it seemed like it had taken a lot out of them. Her whole body was aching, and what wasn't aching, had been rubbed sore. Sky felt like he might be having friction burn. It was five in the morning, and they hadn't slept for a minute. Oof! The day was going to be really tiring!

"Sky?" Z asked, she was also as elated as he was.

"mm-hmm?" he replied, finding himself unable to speak more,

"that was the best sex I've ever had" she said.

"me too" he panted, "you're unmercifully good!"

"I didn't know you had so much stamina!"

"me neither" he said, and they started laughing, "you know Z, you're really, really good in bed" he said, and received a smile from her before passing out.

Two hours later, they were woken up by the horrific banging of the door of her room, Sky and Z sat up in attention, nobody was allowed to see this!

"Z? I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE, OPEN THE DOOR!" Syd shouted from the other side, apparently, she had been knocking for quite a while. Thankfully, Z had bolted the door the previous night, so Syd couldn't enter even with her passkey, unless Z opened it.

"what do I do?" Sky asked, whispering in the panic, he was the unnecessary guest in the room.

"quick, get under the bed!" Z said, suggesting the classic 'hiding-my-secret-boyfriend' technique.

He followed the order, and quickly did so, Z shouted back to Syd, "Syd I'm not decent, wait a minute!" the banging stopped.

Z began putting on he clothes one by one, haphazardly, and she couldn't button up her bra, she looked at Sky for help, and he muttered, "Leave your fucking bra, just zip your jacket over it, she won't notice the difference" Z followed.

Finally Syd entered, she looked cheery enough, and apart from the annoyance of standing outside her room for like half an hour.

"why were you sleeping naked? Did you have a boy here?" she asked, suspiciously.

"noooo…" Z dragged, "plus, I was alone, I was hot, why can't I sleep naked?" Z asked.

"good point. I do that too sometimes when you're not here"

"you do?" that was WEIRD!

"anyway, where were you last night?" Z asked.

"I had a date"

"for a whole night?" Z slanted her eyebrows; the questioner had become the questionee. (I know that's not a word)

"okay, we went back to his apartment…" Syd said, and other things were just… implied.

"what's his name?" Z asked, and saw Syd's mood darken a little.

"Joseph. McBride." She said meekly.

"WHAT? You're dating my EX the day he broke up with me?" Z was shell shocked.

"actually he broke up with you because I asked him out" she explained, and at that moment, Z felt like strangling Syd with her bare hands.

"you know what…" Z throttled all her homicidal thoughts, and then, "I'm done with you" she said, and walked out, leaving Sky stranded in the room with Syd, who didn't seem to be any fazed that she had just completely ruined her friendship with her roommate.

Now the task was Sky's, to get out, without Syd finding out that he had spent the whole night there, and take a bra for Z, because she obviously couldn't find one outside her room, unless she decided to ask Kat.

To make things easier, Syd stated, "I'm going to take a shower. She'll cool down after a while." And Syd walked into the shower in the room.

Sky got out from under the bed, tiptoeing around the room, and found his clothes, all bundled up in a corner, out of sight, dressed up and then, got Z's bra, and then slipped out silently.

He went to the common room, to find Z, but she wasn't there, so he looked around, a little more, to find her, but in the end, gave up, and retired to his own room, when he opened the door, he found her sitting on the bed, sobbing.

"Z? I've been looking all over for you!" he exclaimed.

He handed her the bra, and she took it, gave him a teary smile.

"why did she do that?" she asked him, as he took the seat next to her.

"some people are jerks, Z, they don't care what others think." He said, and he hugged him tightly.

"what do we do now?" she asked, and he liked that she said 'we'.

"now," Sky said, taking her face in his hands, and wiping her tears with his thumb, looked into her eyes, and told her, "we're going to get her back for this."

* * *

A/N: so? love or hate? what do you guys think Sky is going to do to Joseph and Syd? Any ideas? leave it in the reviews!


	18. Scheming

A/N: I know it's starting to become painfully obvious. I guess I'm not so good at subtleness as I thought I was…  
This ch is mostly filler

Chapter 18: Scheming

It was two days after Syd telling Z that she had begun dating Joseph, and they hadn't talked at all, these days, and nothing but fakey-fake smiles, and fakey-fake polite words were exchanged between them.

This day was going to be different from all others at SPD, for when the rangers, Bridge, Daniel, and Syd were chilling in the common room: Bridge was reading a comic, Daniel was obsessing over his hair not turning out well, after bleaching them, and Syd was talking to Joseph on the phone. Sky and Z walked into the room at that moment, and everyone was surprised, to see them holding hands.

"guys we have an announcement" she said, a wide grin adorning her face.

"we" Sky pointed at the two of them, "are officially dating" he said.

"WHAT?" Bridge spit out his soda, Daniel looked up from his hand-mirror, Syd seemed so shocked, her pupils dilated.

"yeah" Z said, planting a small kiss on his lips.

"what?" Daniel repeated.

"Sky, you and me? Chat?" Bridge asked, taking Sky's hand and dragging him out (kinda like Sky had done in the first chapter)

"Bridge what the heck?" Sky asked, when they were out of earshot.

"I told you that whole sex-friends thing wasn't going to work! Plus you know what Cruger says, no relationships in teamwork."

"that's not what Cruger says. That's what the handbook says" Sky explained, "plus the rule is no-distractin—" he was cut off by Bridge yelling, "whatever! I told you this won't work out! I told you that you'd fall for her, or that she'll fall for you, but this won't work out! I'm telling you!"

"Bridge relax" Z said calmly coming up from behind, "it's nothing big" she said.

"BUT IT IS BIG!"

"Bridge," Z said, very, very slowly, "We, are, just, pretending, to, date, so, that, we, can, get, back, at, Joseph, and, Syd" she said.

"what?" now he was confused.

"we're pretending to be in a relationship so that we can go on a double date, and do whatever it needs to ruin their relationship"

"yep" Sky said, grave serious, "cuz I'm not gonna let pretty pink princess build a castle of her dreams on top of the rubble of Z's"

Bridge chuckled, "got it"

"what are you laughing about?"

"you won't get it"

"what is it?"

"leave it, guys, I'm just glad that you two are 'not' in love"

"what is that supposed to mean?" Sky asked, suspiciously.

"nothing." He scoffed, "don't you have some relationship to break-up or something?" Bridge asked, and pushed Sky and Z away.

When they were gone, he laughed quietly to himself, "there's something there, definitely. I can sense it a mile away"

Meanwhile, Sky and Z made their way back to the common room, and over to Syd and Daniel, who were still on the couch, still surprised from what Sky and Z had said.

"you two are serious?" Daniel asked, when they entered.

"pretty much, yeah" Z smiled, "I realized that I really, really liked him." she held his arm, and leaned on him.

"I love her too." he said, and didn't realize that his tongue had slipped, and he had said he loved her, "I meant like" he corrected, looking at Z, embarrassed.

"and when did you two realize it?" Syd asked, a little suspicious.

"when you so ruthlessly crushed her feelings." Sky said, coldly.

"he came to me, to cheer me up, and we realized that we felt more for each other than what we let on" Z said, and in some part of him, some deep, deep part of him, that was buried deep within, Sky wished that story was true.

"really?" Syd asked, still disbelieving, "well, I'm very glad that it worked out with you two!"

She was NOT happy. It was so clear to see, even DANIEL noticed it.

"cool, real cool for you guys!" Daniel said, he sounded genuinely happy.

Sky smiled, and then went with Z and sat on the couch, planning to make-out, part of the act. Z whispered to him, "don't you think you overdid your lines with the whole love part?"

"yeah, I realized, but hey, at least it was believable." He grinned, like it was all part of the act.

"shall we kiss?" Sky asked, and Z didn't hesitate for a second, and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was soft, at first, both keeping their tongues to themselves, but then, she opened her lips to let in his tongue. Z had found, in that blue rain, that she really liked having to kiss him in public, without there being the idea of them having mindless sex afterwards. This was why she agreed when he proposed the idea of them pretending to be dating: she liked having him as more than a friend, and not just behind the closed bedroom doors.

Then suddenly, there was coughing, from Syd, "unhn-hmm?" she said, and Sky and Z broke apart their kiss, to look at Syd very innocently,

"yeah?" Sky asked, annoyed on being interrupted.

"go get a room you two" she said, irritated,

"whatever do you mean Sydney Drew?" Z asked, ever so innocently.

"can you go an make out with the hottest guy at SPD in your own room?" Syd askd, and Sky looked at her slyly, lifting his eyebrows, playfully, "I'm the hottest guy in SPD?"

"maybe" Syd was in a tough spot, she had admitted to something she had never even dreamed she would. WUDDAFAQ?

"can you like not tell Joseph I said that?" Syd was down to almost begging, cuz she knew that her relationship with Joseph would me more than over if it had, and they had slept together for just three nights in a row! And no, she couldn't let a guy break up with her!

"well, you do seem to think I'm hot. We can't lie exactly, can we?" Sky asked, innocently.

"well, you know what? Let's go on a double date, and there I'll prove that I don't think you're anything more than my teammate." She couldn't sway Sky over to be her boyfriend, like she had done with Joseph, Sky was SUPER loyal, and he had always been.

"alright…" Z seemed fakely unsure about it.

"fix up a date, and we'll see you there" Sky grinned.

Then they made their way out, out of earshot, Z laughed, "SCORE! She fell for it, just like we thought she would!"

"why are all of Syd's responses like those preprogrammed in a robot? It's like we can anticipate every next word she says!" Sky said, equally happy, "we'll take them down more easily than we had thought. Nobody can be happy if they've hurt my Z Delgado."

"you know something?" Z asked, not apprehending what he had said, he looked at her, in her eyes, and stopped smiling,

"you're the best friend I ever had." She said, and hugged him, tightly.

He wrapped his arms around her too, her hair almost touching his lips; he gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

"you're the best friend I ever had" he replied, and he felt like adding a few more words, but he knew that those words would be crossing the limit. So he just stood there and hugged her back.


	19. Double-Date

A/N: LONG chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Double-Date**

"what exactly are we going to do at the double date?" Z asked Sky, as she used her elbow to prop herself up on his bare chest.

It had been three days after the announcement that they were fake-dating, and Syd used to spend all her nights at Joseph's so Sky and Z had the room to themselves every night; and Sky didn't mind coming over every night, and leaving before Syd returned. His fingers caressed her naked back, up and down, making shapes; she liked his touch. It was about twelve in the night, and neither really felt like sleeping.

"I thought we were going to ruin their date?" Sky asked.

"yeah, I know, but how, exactly?" Z asked, they had decided they were going to ruin the date, but they hadn't planned out how.

"okay" Sky said, thinking, "maybe we can pretend to enjoy it so much, make them feel jealous, or something"

"alright?"

"we can flirt, make them awkward"

"and we can try to break them up!" Z added the suggestion.

"perfect!" he said, and then kissed her. Sky Tate was Z's boyfriend in every sense of the word, only he wasn't. This was so complicated, their relationship. They were friends, had sex, 'no strings attached', and were fake dating. What? He was pretending to be her boyfriend, he was a boy, he was her friend, they had sex, and they were now allowed to kiss in public. Of course, Sky and Z knew this was all fake. They knew what they were; they had kinda kept their boundaries clear.

No strings attached, right?

But Sky felt like he needed more. Like he was living a lie. He didn't want to live a lie. He cared about her, and he knew she cared about him. So what was stopping them? Truth was that he could never face what he felt about her; feeling like it'd jeopardize their friendship. And that friendship was the best thing that ever happened to him. But again, the truth was undeniable.

He was starting to wish for the strings.

He wanted to define what they were. Even if it meant jeopardizing their friendship AND their job, because they knew that Cruger was very strict about this kind of stuff. But he had a plan just in case, I mean, even Cruger had disobeyed handbook rules many a times, and he had record to prove it too. He obviously wouldn't blackmail Cruger, but he'd just gently ask him to ease the rules a little bit to allow this sort of 'interaction' amongst rangers at SPD. this had also been a prime reason why Z and Sky had never made their

But he could enjoy what he had right now; worrying about the future for something he needed to worry about in the future. He needed to spend whatever time he could with Z to it's max, and right now, it meant more sex.

He turned them around, catching Z by surprise as she found herself on her back, with him on top of her; he looked at her, a little wildly, "ready for another go?" he asked, and she chuckled, as he pulled her under the covers with him.

X-X-X

Saturday.

Almost five days after Sky and Z's 'announcement', scheduled to be their double date with Syd and Joseph, and Z and Syd were getting ready in their room, waiting for their respective boyfriends to arrive, so they could go for the double date. Sharing a room with Syd was SO FUCKING AWKWARD for Z, they couldn't talk to each other; they couldn't even stand being in the same room together.

"Z do you think I should wear that?" Syd asked her roommate's opinion on a VERY revealing dress, knowing she was going to wear it anyway.

"I think you need trim it a couple more inches, you know?" Z asked, sarcastically, "then it'll not leave anything to imagination"

"ha ha, very funny. You know Z, you can put on a pair of sweatpants." Syd remarked, "then you'll look better"

"slut" Z said.

"I heard that"

"I said it out loud" Z said, sassier.

"bitch" Syd added.

"shut up"

"you do"

they dressed up silently, and then the bell rang, Z went to open it, and saw Sky standing there with a huge bouquet of white lilies.

"your favorite flowers" Sky smiled.

"you didn't have to do this, Sky." Z said, looking at the flowers, then whispered to him, "you're not my real BF you know?"

"I know." He smiled, "just want to make my role perfect. We gotta do what we talked about, right" and handed her the flowers.

"you're too sweet" she said, blushing, and then immediately blushed even more because she realized she was blushing, and then well, basically she turned redder than a strawberry.

At that moment, there was another knock, and went to open the door for Joseph.

"HEEEYYYY BABY!" she greeted him with a passionate tongue kiss.

Sky looked at that, and whispered to Z, "this is literally all they'd have to talk about" and she chuckled.

"He really seemed to like the tongue kisses, while we went out" Z whispered back.

"I think we all know what he likes" Sky said, sarcastically. He kinda sorta didn't like Z saying anything 'memorable' about Joseph. It hurt him, and he didn't know why.

"give me just five minutes," Syd said, and Z followed, "me too, and then we'd be there" and both the girls entered the bathroom together, leaving Sky and Joseph alone in the room.

"I didn't know Z was that desperate" Joseph chuckled.

"What?" Sky turned to look at him, enraged.

"she asks her gay friend to pretend to be her date. Isn't that a desperate attempt to make me jealous?"

"I'm not gay man" Sky said, amused, he knew he had the upper hand, "why do you think it didn't work out between me and that gay cousin of yours?"

"he said your vibes didn't match"

"he meant gay vibes" (no offence)

"you're fucking lying"

"I'm not. Call him and check if you want to" Sky said, cockily.

Joseph made the call, and returned to the conversation fuming, "Why the fuck did Z tell me you were gay?"

"Cuz she knew I kinda had a thing for her, and she didn't want you to feel… insecure" Sky said, smirking.

"why would I feel insecure?" Joseph asked, feeling terribly insecure.

"I'm hotter than you, cooler than you, prettier than you, hunkier than you, and most of all, nicer than you"

"oh yeah?" nobody had ever insulted Joseph like that. He himself was quite the heartthrob, with his Harry-Styles-looks, but the aspects of his personality, as explored by Z, had completely made him devoid of all charm in her eyes. Sky was quite like a Greek God himself, maybe Ares, for comparison? And his personality, being nothing like this jerk of an asshole sitting in front of him, was icing over the cake. Dammit he was the complete package.

"why did you ditch Z?" Sky asked, suddenly, changing the topic, making the room feel like an interrogation cell to Joseph.

"I what?"

"why the fuck did you dump Z? And how did you meet Syd?"

"Z and I had been going out for more than a month, and she hadn't had sex with me. She didn't consider the 'going out for coffee' and 'going to craft fairs' and spending time in general as dates. It was like she was trying to stretch out the platonic period as long as she could. like something would end if she had sex with me. It really frustrates me. When a girl doesn't have sex with me. Then one day, at a time at SPD academy, I came to visit her, she wasn't here, and I met Sydney. She was so horny, she saw me, and pulled me in bed with her. I really liked that I was so irresistible to a girl. But then I thought I'd have to break things off with Z, cuz I fucked her roommate before I fucked her. But then I changed my mind, thinking that I couldn't let a perfectly good girl go off, without fucking with her even once. You know what I'm talking about?" he asked, knowingly nudging Sky, like Sky would know what he was talking about.

Sky felt his anger rise up even more, and he had turned redder than what Z had been minutes ago, he grabbed Joseph by his collar, and was just about to say something, really mean, and threatening, when the girls re-entered the room. And seeing them, he dropped Joseph, with a look that said 'If-you-tell-anyone-about-this,-you're-dead-meat'

Joseph nodded, afraid of him.

"Ready sweetie?" Z asked Sky, hooking her hand with his. He smiled at her; maybe she had seen him holding Joseph as she had come first, but she didn't show it.

"Joseph? Syd?" Sky asked, slanting his eyebrows, mischievously, "let's go?"

"ready baby?" Syd asked, imitating Z's action, and latching onto Joseph, who still looked a little white.

They drove in Syd's car. Syd was in the passenger seat, letting Joseph drive, cuz she didn't want her newly done nails to be ruined. Sky and Z were in the back seat; they were sitting a close together, and Sky just couldn't control his fingers, seeing her sitting there, next to her, looking all hot and sexy.

He placed his palm on her knee, checking for her reaction, and was immensely satisfied. She looked at him, smirked, quietly, and licked her lips, invitingly. He took the signal, and gently slid the hand up her thigh, his fingers playing on her naked skin, moving around her thigh, from the inner side to the outer side, making circles, and she chuckled, or at least felt like chuckling, because she knew if she made any noise, it'd draw the other couple's attention, and that was really unnecessary. He got more mischievous, and slid his fingers over to her clit, achieving a small, controlled moan from her, and that made Syd turn around, "what are you two doing?" she asked, as Sky pulled his hand back at lightening speed, and muttered, "nothing" in the most innocent way, making Z snicker. He also joined in, as Joseph got irritated, he had an idea what they might be up to, and was pissed off that he couldn't feel up his own girlfriend as he was driving.

They finally reached the restaurant, a certain, 'Gold Town Resort' undertaking, quite famous, and sat down at a table. The wall, at a little distance by the table had water dispensers, and so the wall, which had the wallpaper setting of a stone cave, with the water dispensers, gave the feeling of a waterfall. There was lighting right under the wall, and it made it shine right out. it was beautiful. The whole restaurant was decorated with a number of belle indoor plants, and flowers of a great variety. There were even plants and decors from different galaxies. The only source of lighting was the small Fenzu insects, who hovered like fireflies, (only a lot brighter) in the air, giving off different colored glows from their wings, making the whole lighting of the setting, just the perfect amount for romance, while not being too static at the same time. It was just perfect.

But the date has to go on… so, let the official 'AWKWARD MOMENT' begin!

Both of the couples sat, looking at each other, not knowing what to say, cuz, you know, AWKWARD! (I can picture myself saying this in a high-pitched voice)

Neither had ever been on a double date before, and didn't know what exactly to say or do. Well, Sky and Z kinda had a plan, but how were they like supposed to kick-start it all?

"how come you never brought me here before Joseph?" Z asked, trying to get things rolling.

"because he's never come here himself." Sky said, matter-of-factly, making it evident that the restaurant was indeed his choice. No wonder it was so breathtaking.

Silence again.

"what do you want to order?" Syd asked, finally, breaking the silence as the waiter poured water into their glasses.

"lady's choice" Sky said, and Z looked at him, as if to say 'you're-overdoing-it' but he didn't seem to receive the signal.

Anyway, Syd ordered the wine for them, taking her time to choose the menu, 'La Vin Rouge de Bourgogne' (right out of France), and Z ordered the starters for them, and when it arrived, Sky couldn't help but smirk, and nudged her, "I know what you're doing and I love it"

"OH! Calamari! My fave! I love it!" Joseph said, when he waiter placed the dish on the table, and Sky and Z enjoyed the show, as Joseph stuffed the fried squid in his mouth like a barbarian, cuz he just loved it, Syd cringed, and he was like, "ooh I'm sorry!" he said with a stuffed mouth, "how very rude of me! Would you like some?" he asked, placing the plate right in front of Syd, and all three of them noticed Syd turning red, and then green and then her eyes getting watery, which finally led her to get off her seat in a hurry and dash out to the restroom.

Damn!

"what happened?" Joseph asked, his mouth full, still unable to stay away from the calamari.

"Didn't you know that Syd is allergic to sea food?" Sky asked in the most innocent of ways, and before Z could answer, he said, "too bad, guess you two don't have so much in common after all"

Joseph looked at them in disgust and then ran after Syd, to the ladies' room.

"seeing a girl throw up is the worst thing that can happen on a date" Z said, and Sky grinned

"I love you…" he said, and immediately corrected, adding "rrrr evil side!" then paused, a little embarrassed, maybe she hadn't noticed, he repeated, "I love your evil side" he took his wine glass and offered cheers to her.

By the time Syd and Joseph were back, she was a little less green, and he looked a lot more shaken.

They sat down again and there was silence for a little more while.

Then Sky and Z started complimenting each other, in the way that made the other two extremely uncomfortable.

"what have you done with your hair? I love them."  
"you're so muscular, and hot, and I'm like OOHH!"  
"you're so pretty."  
"you're so handsome"  
"you smell so good, what is that? Gucci?"  
"it's Chanel, and you? What do you have? Is it one of those… 'Midnight' perfumes?"  
"oh yeah, 'La Minuit'"  
"I love your eyes, they're so deep"  
"I think you're just perfect in every way!"  
"I love spending time with you"  
"I love every moment I spend wit you"  
"I love it even more"  
"I love it more than you can"

And so on and so forth they continued, while the other two stared at them, awkwardly speechless, not knowing what to say. Finally when Sky and Z decided they had made Syd and Joseph uncomfortable enough, they turned to look at them, "oh I'm SO SORRY!" Z said, "we completely forgot you were here!"

"yeah, it's just I love spending time with Z, the rest of the world just spins around, like vanishes" Sky said, and gave Z a little kiss, that soon turned into a with-tongue make-out, which made Syd and Joseph more and more discomfited!

They interrupted Sky and Z for a minute, "I think we should take off…" Joseph said, weirdly.

"yeah, I think we should. Don't worry, we'll walk. You two take the car back to SPD, Joseph will drop me off" Syd said, and the two of them made their way out of the restaurant, still a little dazed.

"I think we overdid it" Z said, feeling bad for the two, their date had been so horrible, including the vomiting part, that they couldn't have the same relationship they had a two hours back.

"yeah, I still think we haven't done enough. It won't be enough till they break up" Sky said, his mind made up.

"now who has an evil side?" Z asked, mocking, but then said, "but I love it too…" and smiled, offering him cheers with her wine glass too.

* * *

A/N: I hope I didn't make the double date too short, n too... stupid, i didn't know how else i could make it weird! But do tell me how I did in the reviews please! hope that you liked it!


	20. Realization

Chapter 20: Realization

It was quite late as Sky and Z drove in Syd's car, back to the academy, they had decided to stick around a little more, after Syd and Joseph had left. They had ordered dessert, (which hadn't exactly been Sky's favorite idea) and then they had decided to crash a beachside fiesta and share a little passionate slow dance. Both of them had been so lost in each other, genuinely, that it was hard to believe they weren't actually in love. Either they were really, really good actors, or there was something more in them than was visible to the eye.

When they entered Z and Syd's room at the academy, Z turned and threw her arms around his neck, and brought herself up on her tippy toes to gently kiss her on the lips. He kissed her back, but didn't attempt to shove his tongue down her throat. She found that highly unusual, after all, they were all alone, inside a room, and weren't going to be disturbed until morning.

_Maybe he just forgot_, Z thought, and decided to push her own tongue against his lips, and demand entry, which he denied; she broke the kiss.

"is something wrong?" she asked, concerned,

"no, nothing's wrong" he replied, a little surprised by her question. Couldn't they even kiss? Oh wait… nope, that didn't fit in their limits. They were only supposed to pretend to be dating when in front of other people, and when alone, they were nothing more than two people fulfilling their sexual desires. For some reason, Sky didn't feel like going through with it.

"well," he awkwardly began, not knowing what to say. He usually kept EVERYTHING so perfectly arranged. Even his thoughts! And this mess in his mind was irritating him, "I think I'd better get going" he said, smiled sort of awkwardly, and then hurriedly left, leaving Z feeling a little hurt and a lot confused.

What had gotten into him?

Meanwhile, Sky made his way back to his room, and knocked, slowly. Bridge opened the door, sleepily, "you had your keys?" he asked.

"I didn't," he replied, without offering much explanation.

"it's been a while since you came back for the night… everything all right?" Bridge asked, reading his friends aura, immediately knowing that everything was NOT all right.

"it's… it's Z." Sky sighed.

"did she say something that hurt you?" Bridge asked.

"no! she can never do that." Sky replied defiantly, defending her.

"then what it is Sky?" Bridge asked, "you're her fake-real-fake-boyfriend-friend-with-benefit, what more can you possibly ask?"

"That is exactly what it is Bridge!" Sky groaned, "I'm not… comfortable with this fake-real-fake-boyfriend-friend-with-benefit arrangement! It's getting weird!"

"then what do you want?"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT!" he was really frustrated.

"Sky, Sky," Bridge said, placing a hand on Sky's shoulder, "calm down buddy…"

Sky looked at him like a sad puppy, making Bridge go all 'aawww'.

"okay, let's try this trick. You're not an empath, so it'll work on you, okay?" he asked, and Sky nodded.

"answer the questions really fast, okay? Without thinking." Sky nodded again, and Bridge began his quick paced attack of questions.

"what do you like more? Cupcakes or ice-cream?"

"Cupcakes"

"iced tea or cold coffee?"

"cold coffee"

"did you draw people?"

"yes"

"do they know about it?"

"no"

"Young Justice or Teen Titans?"

"Teen Titans"

"do you love Z?"

"yes"

The moment that word was out of Sky's lips, he wished he could take it back, while Bridge sat back with a sagely look.

"you had to realize it someday" he said.

Sky stuttered, "I—I—I love her as a friend, nothing more! Nope! I cant even think of her that way!" he protested.

"then why did you feel mad when she started dating Joseph?"  
"I didn' feel mad! I was concerned."

"sure, you keep telling yourself that sweetie" Bridge said, and snickered, "both of us know what you feel, or felt at the time. You can deny it all you want with me, but how long can you fool yourself?" he asked, and seeing Sky's reaction, smiled, and laid down in bed, "good night." He said.

Sky also lay down in his bed, but it seemed strange. He had completely lost the habit of sleeping alone, and so, he couldn't drift off to sleep. He kept missing her soft body right next to his, where he'd wrap his arms around her and snuggle into her back. Why was he missing her so much? Was it actually like Bridge had said?

He wanted to sleep, but his mind kept talking to itself, about Z. That girl was even stealing his night's sleep! Why? Why couldn't he sleep?

He sat up, and decided to look at his sketches, his sketches of Z, in particular. He fished out his little blue box, and its key, which was actually attached to the zip og his SPD jacket, which he always wore. And when it went for laundry, he usually, unhooked it, and latched it onto another jacket of his, so that he always held on to it. That box contained his most important momentos, practically everything that made him teary, and emotional, and he realized that lately, most of the things that landed up in his collection were relating to Z.

Was he somehow obsessed with her and hadn't realized it?

Or was he actually in love with her?

The questions kept turning in his mind, as he rummaged through his safehouse of memories. Yeah, he liked to call it safehouse; a place where his weakness would never be discovered. Being perfectly candid, Sky Tate had NEVER shown this to any human being alive. This little blue box had been his little secret, ever since his dad had died.

He didn't want to wake Bridge, who was already fast asleep, and snoring, so he took his box, and made his way outside, and settled down on the couch in the common room, and doing something he never really could do with people around, he brought his feet up on the couch with him, so that he was comfy and he had the box between his feet to prevent the contents form spilling. Some of the interior parts of the box, contained stuff from his teenage and childhood, the top, of course, contained the newer additions. Sky flipped the contents upside down, and started rummaging through them holding something for inspection if he found it interesting. There was a class photograph of his 9th grade batch, in which, he had circled a boy with a black marker, and written, 'Dingus' and circled another one and written 'Doofus'. Doofus and Dingus, his favorite names for the Brixton twins whom he liked to dunk in the toilet. He laughed at the memories.

Then there was a movie ticket, to 'Birds of Prey', he had been fifteen when that had been released, and he had snuck out to watch it with Dru. There were the entrance passes to the Rijks museum, in Amsterdam, where he had gne with his mother right after his seventh grade finals. He remembered there was a LONG queue outside the Anne Frank house, and he couldn't vsit it, as they were short on time, and that is one thing he really regretted, as the very next year, they had the whole Anne Frank Diary, 'The Diary of a Young Girl' as their supplementary reader. So many memories, all just papers, and having absolutely no meaning without the memories assigned to them. It was quite a spectacle.

Then there were the new additions, like his little sketches of Z, which he didn't want anyone to discover. These were more on the 'safehouse' part, rather than the 'memories' part, because he didn't consider his sketches to be proper 'memories', but he didn't want them discovered, so they landed in the box.

He flipped through the A-5 sized sheets, which were folded up, and kept, and he unfolded them, and smiled.

The one on top was his latest. She was sleeping in it. Maybe it was a little creepy for him to draw her like that, but he used to just watch her sleep, and then he couldn't get her image out of his head, so he did, on paper. He hadn't drawn her naked, as she had been, because that'd be way over the line. And he didn't want to do anything that might be hurtful. So he had just drawn her in a bright yellow top. She looked really pretty in it. He had wondered for a minute whether he should add in the tattoo on her back as a design on her dress, but then decided against it.

Then there was one of them kissing in the rain. He had drawn it like a kiss from an anime show, their eyes were closed and covered by their hair, they were drenched in blue, and well, they looked at peace. Sky had learnt to draw himself in the mirror long back, and had gotten used to sketching Z, so even though he hadn't been there as a third person, he had an idea what it would've looked like, the kiss. And in this way, he had captured her in many candid moments, which he liked to relive through the paintings.

He just flipped through the pages and smiled.

X-X-X

Meanwhile, someone else couldn't sleep either.

Z tossed and turned in bed, unable to rest. She was missing Sky like anything. And it was not the sex. She missed having his huge body cuddled behind hers, wrapping an arm around her, providing her warmth and protection. (Not that she needed any, but she liked the thought of having him there) she missed his jokes, that might just keep her awake through the night, if they were too tired to fall asleep. She missed their chats that usually ended with one of them kissing the other shut. Then they'd smile at each other, and just drift to sleep, feeling like the chat had reached its conclusion.

She got up.

"what can I do now?" she thought, because sleep was now off her charts.

She looked over her dresser, and pulled out her phone, and shuffled her spotify playlist. What song could suit her mood? Which genre?

What WAS her mood?

Only a song could tell. She whipped up her old rock music list, which literally contained nothing other than Lincoln Park. Nah! Not going to do the trick. listening to rock songs was giving her a headache, as if her brain needed to talk about something else, but couldn't speak in all the commotion. What was on? This used to be her favorite decision making song!

But anyway, she realized that her MCR emu playlist wouldn't do much help either, because it was virtually the same thing.

So then she shifted to nightcore. Funky? Not really the mood. Switching Vocals? Maybe. Depends on the song. She flipped through, and randomly hit a song. She hadn't even thought which one it was, and was surprised after hearing the song after like seven years.

It was strange how the lyrics of the song fit so aptly to her condtion. Well, some fitted in at this point, and some used to fit.

She mouthed along the lyrics, even more surprised that she still remembered so much of it, but she still couldn't place the name, and didn't feel like looking into the screen to see. Somethings were fun as surprises, "I'm just tryna keep it cool now, but that's not what I wanna do now,"

So apt,

"I'm not tryna be with you now," it had just been half an hour, and his abrupt disappearance had her completely off the rock. But she was trying to not overthink, not, trying to keep it cool, trying to not be with him.

"it's such a rush, yeah I wish you were here" no reason to explain.

Then came the chorus and dammit, she was shocked to realize that the song was about the girl's crush! The song's damned name was CRUSH!

"I've been thinking 'bout your touch like, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch" and then Z was singing the whole song before she knew it!

"maybe if I'm busy it could keep me from you" (Good idea, Z thought,)

"and I'm pretending you ain't been on my mind" (true, Very, very true, Z thinks)

"but I took an interest in the things that I like"

"but can you blame me when you keep me on the fence like"

that line was the MOST perfect for her situation. Wasn't she on the fence? She didn't know why he had left. Did he feel something was wrong? Did he want to end them? Break-up with her? Wait they had never gone out in the first place. But did he maybe wanna go out?

Only one way to find out.

X-X-X

Sky Tate was still with his sketches, and wasn't planning to leave anytime soon. He was just lost in a picture of Z, not sketch, which he had kept in the box as a memory, looking at her, when he was frightened out of his skin.

"Sky?" he heard, and almost jumped up.

"Z?" he turned around, recognizing the voice. Was she also not able to sleep?

"unable to sleep?" she asked, wanting to avoid the topic of him leaving her alone for the night. He didn't seem too interested in it either; he looked more or less edgy. She thought she had seen him stuff a bunch of papers hurriedly in his pocket, when she had startled him.

"yeah" he said, "no biggie"

"so, what do you have there?" she recognized the blue box, which had been locked when she had snooped around his room.

"it's just some useless, scrap papers" he said, and was it a blush on his face?

"nobody keeps scrap paper in lock n key, Sky, those papers have some meaning to your life, even if they're scrap to others." She smiled at him.

"alright, it's true. These are my memories." He smiled.

"why is the box blue Sky?" she asked, and he decided, that maybe, just maybe, he could tell her this secret of hers. it was something nobody knew, the only other person who did, had passed away. Mayb it wouldn't be so bad to open up and come clear. Not about the paintings though.

"you know Z, I'm a huge sucker for memories, and anything that connects me to it." he chuckled, a sad, sad chuckle. Z placed a hand on his shoulder, and sat down beside him.

"I'm not judging Sky. You know you can tell me anything" she said, smiling at the box beside him.

"Ranger Tate, aka my dad, had always been a warm, and kind person, who was always loved by his fellow colleagues; and me, his little boy, received all their sympathies after he died. There was this one blue ranger in his squad, a HUGE goofball, and a very compassionate one, a guy named Dito Kristall. When he had visited my mother and him after the tragedy, to offer condolences, he had quietly given me a blue box, this box" he pointed at the one in his lap, "and whispered to me that it had been his safehouse of memories, but that now the legacy should be passed on, and that I should have it." he smiled at the box, with a lot of nostalgia, "Since then, I've cherished that box, keeping everything that might even have a memory connected to it. I've always,, kept it a secret, but I'm entrusting you with it" he smiled at her, and she knew the box meant too much to him, and what a personal thing it was for him to share. "Krystall had also passed away from an illness, like a month later. So, this box became my last reminder of my dad AND Dito Krystall. Then I decided why not make it a reminder of everything that mattered to me." He smiled.

"Aawww…. That's so sweet" she looked at him, and he could swear he had seen love in her eyes. Then she looked at the box, "am I in there?"

"you think you are?" he asked softly.

"I wish I am" she chuckled, and he decided he'd come clean.

"some things…" he said, mysteriously.

"am I allowed to see into your childhood?" she asked softly, knowing almost certainly that Sky was so clammed up, he'd refuse. But he completely took her by surprise when he said, "I'd love to" he smiled.

And as he revealed every single bit of his past to Z, the highs the lows, the loves the blows, everything. It was just amazing for her, seeing Sky Tate open up. It was morning by the time he finished, and she felt like she knew a whole new person. It was just amazing for Sky too. it was as if he finally had someone who understood him. maybe he hadn't exactly given Z that much of a chance to reveal his feelings because he knew she wouldn't understand much.

And by the time the morning came, there wasn't even a slimmer of doubt in Sky's mind, that Bridge was right, and that he was completely and hopelessly in love with Elizabeth Delgado.

* * *

A/N: It turned out to be longer than i had imagined, but I loved writing it. But is it convincing, that Sky would fall in love with Z?


	21. Awkward

A/N: This turned out WAYY longer than i wanted. But it also turned out exactly as i wanted! Love or hate? Let me know!

* * *

**Chapter 21: Awkward!**

Sky Tate had never been one to deal with feelings too well. He now knew that he wanted something more from Z, he wanted her love, and he didn't know how to deal with this. Should he tell her? And then see what she says to it? What if she declined? Is it worth to jeopardize their friendship? Whatever they already have built? She might feel the same, and then they might date, which might just be worth it, but then they might not work out, and broke up. No, he couldn't take this chance… no he couldn't ruin what he had with Z!

But Sky had never been someone to deal with suppressed feelings. He knew he'd break and lash out, maybe do something so screwed up that it'd ruin everything he had with Z. it was too risky either way. Sky didn't know what to do, but in the end, after hours and hours of reflection while he worked out in the gym, he decided that he should let it be. If they were meant to be, then something would happen, otherwise, maybe someday he'd get over her.

When he told Bridge that he was in love with Z, the Jewish boy was jubilant! "I told you!" he said, "the untamable lion has been tamed! The great oak has been chopped!" he said, referencing two '60s movies that he and Daniel had been watching in a 60s marathon for the past three days.

"who's oak is chopped off?" Daniel asked as he walked into the common room.

"get your brain out of the drain Daniel" Sky said, sarcastically, "and you two need to stop watching Doris Day and Rock Hudson movies!"

"we watch Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant too!" Dane added,

"and don't forget John Wayne!" Bridge chimed in, and then they got lost in a number of conversations relating to those movies, and Sky left the two of them to it, sprinting off.

Two weeks passed. Sky and Z weren't talking much, Sky tried to avoid her, but Sky didn't let her talk. They used to have sex, but not as often as they used to. Whenever Z approached Sky, to talk about something, more than often, he used to shut her up with his lips. They used to make-out in public, under their 'dating' act. But Z felt like they were drifting apart, and she needed to find out how.

Meanwhile, they had continued their act, and finally, after all the planning and carrying out schemes, they had split Sydney and Joseph. Sky was now happy, because anyone who had hurt Z couldn't be happy, and Z was now avenged. But he was also sad because he knew they'd have to drop the dating act now.

It was only then that his mother decided to call him again to 'talk'.

His mood was already cloudy from this realization, and after talking to his mother, he was even more off. His face was almost red, and he seemed to be embarrassed for reasons anyone listening to his half apart of the conversation wouldn't have known.

Z knew. She didn't know why he was upset, but she knew something definitely was up with him. She had to find out.

She had been realizing that she and Sky were drifting apart all these days, they hadn't had a proper talk since like what? two weeks! Ever since he explained his box of memories to her. She wondered what was up. though she technically couldn't complain, because they talked enough to make others believe that they were together, fake-dating, and if she tried to move further than that, he shut her up with his tongue.

She had to figure out what was wrong with him, and she knew that this thing he was messed up with would be an adequate ruse to get closer to him again. She knew it was sneaky, but she needed him close to her, it was as if she was addicted to him. She didn't want to lose him, as a friend or as anything more.

It was that afternoon that she cornered him in the gym, where he seemed to be spending almost all of his time.

She swung by seductively, when he was doing weights, and hung around, "you're already so ripped, do you really think you need more?" she asked.

"I'm high maintenance," he said, without looking at her.

"Sky," she said persuasively, and she crossed her arms and looked at him, "something is wrong with you, I know that you won't tell me."

He looked at her, irritated, and then put down the dumbbells, and then he looked at her, "nothing is wrong with me baby." He pulled her close to herself, and made her sit on his lap, and began roughly kissing her. She broke the kiss, "you're not getting away with it this time"

He looked at her, and finally, after a long, long silence, in which her piercing eyes kept onto him, he said, finally, "alright Z, there is something"

"tell me, Sky, I can help"

"you can't HELP me" he said, irritated.

"well, I can't if you don't tell me, okay Sky?" she looked at him, and felt like slapping him, and maybe he understood what she had thought, and decided to tell her.

"my MOTHER is asking my presence at a DATE tonight, to TALK to me" he said gritting his teeth.

"date?" Z asked, "she's setting you up with someone?"

"no, HER date" he said bitterly.

"what?" that was hard to digest, Sky as twenty three, wouldn't his mom be like what? Fifty?

"she's forty four," he said, reading her mind, "and well, I don't think love has anything to do with age… or at least that's what she says."

"that's… I'm not judging," she said, defiantly, then she changed the subject back, "where's the meeting?"

"Piccolo's, around eight, tonight" he said, and then grew distant again. Z decided to take a little risk, and asked, "what is getting you so upset?"

"they want to 'talk'"

"yeah, you mentioned. What do they wanna talk about?" Z asked.

"my guess… something I won't like"

"they want you to get out of SPD, right?" she asked, recalling their old conversation.

"there's more to it, I can tell, because she needs to talk face-to-face. Last she had called like that, it was to tell that she was starting to date that guy."

"Sky, you don't need to keep any secrets with me, okay?" she said, taking his cheek into her hand. She slowly rubbed his cheek with her thumb, feeling the little stubble hair that had grown a little since his last shave.

He looked down, avoiding her eyes, feeling guilty that he had been trying to avoid his best friend for TWO whole weeks. Maybe he should trust her.

"alright Z, here's the whole truth. I'm sick of actually showing up there. Not because she's dating a guy, she's dated quite a few guys. The thing is this guy, is my…" he was really, really hesitant, but then seeing Z's eyes, he spoke, sighing, "my senior year chemistry teacher."

That was even more surprising than the first thing, and it explained the strained relations of Sky and Mrs. Tate really well, it also explained why Sky would be so uncomfortable going there. But she knew any sort of extreme response from her would make him shut up; as it was, it was already very hard to get Sky to open up. she nodded, encouragingly, urging him to go on.

"I have a feeling this whole leaving SPD thing is his idea" he said.

"so now what? you will go or not?"

"I have to, no?" he replied, sighing. Then he got an idea, suddenly, his eyes lit up, "Z, why don't you accompany me?" he asked, if she agreed, she might just fix everything up. She had a sort of demeanor, she could convince anyone of anything! She knew just how to make it.

"what?" she asked, surprised, this was a very awkward moment, he had just invited her to the most awkward family 'reunion'.

He, seeing her reaction, wished he could immediately take it all back. His face turned red, as he blushed, and he said, hurriedly, "it's… it's okay if you don't wanna come, okay? It's fine. I can manage it." he pushed her off his lap, and then scurried out of the gym, leaving her staring at the door, surprised.

"what did I say?" she wondered, that had made him run like that.

maybe he had gotten too uncomfortable.

X-X-X

Z Delgado, wearing a knee length dark blue frilled skirt, that had gold borders, and a pretty black sleeveless top, with a deep neck, and covering it up a little, to be decent in front of Sky's teacher and his mother, she had slipped on her leather jacket, and zipped it up. She walked down the seventeenth avenue, her boots making a clicking sound, as she made her way down to Piccolo's. She remembered clearly that Sky had mentioned it was Piccolo's, and it was about eight thirty by the time she reached the restaurant. It was a fancy one, one that Z wouldn't really dream to go someplace like this. BUT she knew she'd be a liability, and so she decided to not engage in anything except the talks. There were two Piccolos' in NTC; Z knew that much, and they were bound to be at one of those two. Luckily enough, the first one was where she found Sky Tate sitting at a table, wearing a red checked shirt, and a loosely hanging tie over it, looking irritated, and with a strong headache. Their backs turned to Z, their faces towards Sky, sat two people, and most probably those two were Mrs. Tate and Sky's chem. teacher.

She was here to join them, after all, Sky had invited her, and so, she made her way to the table.

"hey" she said, with her signature smile, "mind if I join you?"

Sky looked at Z surprised, and then burst into a huge grin, "hey Z! Mom, this is Elizabeth Delgado." he said, and scooted aside, to make space for her to sit, and she looked nervously at his mom, and she smiled, "oh, do join us dear" she said.

She smiled nervously, and took a seat beside Sky, facing the older duo. He placed his arm around her, friendlily. She looked curiously at his mother, why did she seem so familiar? It was almost as if she had seen her somewhere before.

The four stared awkwardly at each other, as a few minutes passed. Then all of a sudden, as a conversation starter, Mrs. Tate asked, "so, Sky, dear, how long have you two been together?" she asked, and that got both Sky and Z nervous.

He pulled his hand away from her and stuttered, "we—we're not…"

"we're not together" Z completed.

He supported, "yeah, we're just friends…"

"you don't look like friends" Mrs. Tate's boyfriend said.

"we have…" Sky looked amusedly at Z, she gave a small chuckle, "privileges"

"my little boy is all grown up, isn't he?" Mrs. Tate asked.

Sky and Z looked at each other, and blushed, then after a minute, Sky's teacher spoke again, "I know this is a little awkward for you, Sky, but I want to tell you something"

"it's not… awkward, Mr. Chavez" Sky said, very awkwardly.

"oh call me Pedro" he said, smiling.

"I'd prefer to say Mr. Chavez, thank you" Sky replied, and Z sat up a little, in attention. Her eyes were still fixated on the blond mother of Schuyler Tate. She had a feeling of power emanating from the woman. Mrs. Tate, what had been her first name? Z wondered why Sky had never told her so.

"just cut to the chase" Sky said, irately.

"alright, Sky, we want your blessings" Mrs. Tate said.

Sky looked at the two, completely shocked, what the hell were they talking about?

"we are planning to start a family"

"isn't Sky your family?" Z asked

"a new family," Mrs. Tate corrected, "together. We want to have children"

Sky, who had just taken a sip of his drink, whatever it was, spit it out into the glass, and asked, in a distorted voice, "what?"

"yes, I mean we have been dating for three years, and well, we thought it would be a perfect time to start something new"

"Aren't you too old to do something like this?"

"yeah, like menopause?" Z asked, and Mrs. Tate smiled, "how old do you think I am, dear?" she asked.

"you know something? You're getting sick in the head mother," Sky said, through his gritted teeth.

"I love her" Mr. Chavez said, "and it was my idea. There is nothing wrong with this"

Sky breathed heavily, "how exactly do you plan on raising this… planned child of yours?"

"that is another favor we need to ask you" Mrs. Tate said, "we know that we are going to be out of the picture soon, but we want you to raise the child as your own, once we are… you know? Gone. You must leave SPD and take classes with Pedro,"

Sky's eyes rolled up in his head, "THAT'S WHY YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE SPD?" He looked incredulously at Z, with a look that said, can-you-believe-this.

"classes?" Z asked,

"yes, we want you to become a teacher, like me." Pedro said, and Sky's eyes flew wide.

"what the fuck? You want me to leave my DREAM JOB at SPD to do something I'm not even good at? WHY?"  
"because this is a very risky profession." Mrs. Tate said, calmly, "I was a fighter pilot, in my time, and then I quit the job when I had you, because I didn't want to jeopardize my safety, but Landon didn't do it, and you lost your father" Mrs. Tate said.

"Well great thing you did mother! But I have no commitment, I have no children, I have nothing to be afraid of!" he said and then added, without thinking, "Z can take care of herself even if I am gone!"

Everybody noticed this slip of his tongue, except him, because nobody reacted. It did not take Z long to tie the strings in together… maybe that explained why he had been trying to avoid her for these past weeks.

But then Mrs. Tate replied, "well, we were thinking that both of us are a little… old. And if we have a child, and something happens to us, he/she should have someone who'd take care. We aren't asking a lot Schuyler."

"YES YOU ARE!" He replied, annoyed, "YOU two are hell-bent of bringing this nuisance in this world, and then you have already planned to shove it onto me and my life to ruin it as well!"

"Schuyler please!" Mrs. Tate said, helplessly as her son raged on, she looked at Z for help, that maybe she'd support her; Z looked at her, and then placed an arm on Sky's shoulder, calming him down.

When he was silent, he looked at Z, who looked at the older pair, "you know something Mrs. Tate?"

"I had a great deal of respect for you. Not just because you are the ex yellow ranger with my father, but also because Sky Tate is such a nice man, that he must've gotten a very good upbringing. Meeting you for the first time, all that is gone. I see you for what you are now: a horribly mean and selfish person who would even ruin her son's future and dreams for her own sake!"

Z continued her rant, "Sky Tate is probably the best SPD officer after maybe Cruger himself! I am not kidding. He is sharp; he makes good plans, and strategies. He knows how to be red, and lead the team, without abusing that power. He knows when he messes up and takes responsibility for his actions. If you take him away from SPD, you are doing a great injustice to him as well as Space Patrol Delta! Taking Schuyler Tate away from SPD might risk the world's safety! He literally keeps our squad intact."

Sky couldn't believe Z had spoken so nicely about him. They had become super close all this time, but her saying all of this completely warmed his heart. He didn't care anymore what his mom thought, or what they wanted him to do, all he wanted was to be with Z.

He spoke, "mother, nobody except you knows the shit I went through trying to get into SPD. You know how much I wanted to be the red ranger! It had been my dream since I was SIX! You knew how I wanted to join SPD, you knew I wanted to live up to the legacy, you knew I wanted to make the world a better place! If you cannot understand me… I have nothing more to say!" he said, and then sat back, irritated, crossing his arms like Z.

Z looked at Sky, and then spoke bitterly to the two older ones, "your son is a gem, and if you cannot understand that and respect him, you don't deserve him"

"come on Sky!" she spoke to Sky, "let's go. No point in wasting your time with them here."

He looked at her, a small smile creeping up his face, he looked triumphantly at his mother and teacher, aka her boyfriend, and he said one last mocking sentence, "oh and in case this wasn't clear, mom, I AM NOT QUITTING MY JOB." Then he raced after Z, who was already out of the restaurant by that time.

Skipping slightly on his feet, a really, really broad smile flashing on his face, he caught up with Z, "hey buddy," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

she smiled at him, and then continued walking, he had to sprint a little to keep up with her.

"thanks for sticking up for me" he said, as she stopped at a roadside place, to get them some take-away coffee. He mouthed thanks, and then the continued walking. Was it just him, or was it starting to get chilly?

"it was nothing. You deserved every moment of it" she smiled, "and yes you can enjoy that vanity"

He grinned widely, and then pulled off his tie, shoving it in his back pocket, then he undid the first two buttons of the checked shirt, 'loosening up' as she called him. Then he brushed his hair a little, letting the cool breeze ruffle his hair. She chuckled seeing him like that, without her insisting on it even once.

"you are really phenomenal" he said, then after a pause, added, "I don't know what I'd ever do without you"

"you don't need to find out… I'll always be here with you" she laughed, and oh God how pretty she looked at that moment...

He knew this was the moment! The only moment she could ever agree; it was now or never… He decided to ask her the critical question.

"will you go on a date with me?"

She looked at him, shocked, "what?" she was just shocked. She had never thought he'd actually have the guts to ask her something like this. "Sky, wha—wh—what happened to the whole having-sex-but-not-falling-in-love thingie?"

"I'm not saying I'm in love, but come on! Can't we just give it a shot, see if it works out? I mean if it doesn't we can pretend it never happened. We'll never know if we don't even try! Just one date Z, please?" he pleaded.

"alright, Sky, I'll go on a date with you."

His face lit up! "Perfect, tomorrow night? We're both free!"

"Alright. Just don't bring me flowers," she said, smiling. She didn't want to admit it, but she absolutely loved the idea of going on a real date with Sky, and she knew that she would never be able to conceal that smile, so she made a joke, and then took Sky's hand, and led him, sprinting, off to a park, their cheerful laughter ringing through the cool night air.


	22. Premature-Ventricular Contractions

A/N: Real sorry for the delay, but this COVID-19 lockdown's on my nerves! Writing this chapter gave me premature ventricular contractions! *grin*

* * *

**Chapter 22: Premature-Ventricular Contractions**

"you look happy" a cranky voice said from behind, as Elizabeth Delgado stood in front of a mirror wondering whether she should tie her hair, or let them fall free. She was never someone who would spend hours in front of a mirror before a date, but somehow, she just couldn't resist, trying to look her best for her date tonight. Maybe the prospect of a real date with the real boy she really liked had rendered a temporary change. They had decided on an evening date, because well, dinner didn't feel special enough, especially after all the Sydney Double date stuff. They both actually had night duty, and they didn't want their date to be cut short, so if they wanted to continue their date, well, the command centre's control panel, and Cruger's chair serve as pretty great beds… they had pre-decided this much!

Z turned around to face Sydney, who was seated on her bed, and was scowling, and leaning back a little.

"I have a date," she said.

"says the girl who once stated that she can go on a date in sweatpants and she wouldn't care." Syd said, thinking back to the conversation the two girls had had when Jack had first started dating Ally, back in 2025, like a day before they had found the A-Squad.

"it's with Sky" Z further stated.

"oohh, now it makes sense…" Syd said, and Z blushed, a little stranged.

"what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, indignantly.

"you think tonight's gonna be the night?" Syd asked, tilting her eyebrows.

"if you mean sex, then no."

"no I mean is today the day you think he will confess?"

"confess what?"

"that he is in love with you"

"he's WHAT?" Z looked at Syd, alarmed.

"you didn't know?" Syd asked, a wicked grin spreading on her face.

"NO!"

"well I've seen the way he looks at you. He is absolutely in love with you" Syd said, smirking.

Z had suspected this for a while now, that Sky felt something more for her, but until Syd said it, Z couldn't bring herself to believe it.

Now Z felt skeptical about the date… she and Sky had an understanding. They had a pact that they'd only be friends, and will not fall in love. Seemed like Sky was going back on it. She couldn't jeopardize their friendship like that! it was the best thing that ever happened to her. Even more than meeting Jack.

"believe whatever you want to Z, he is in love with you" Syd said, and then shuffled into the bathroom, locking the door.

No. Z didn't want to believe it. But on the other hand, she did want to believe it, but then she dismissed it, believing it to be a figment of Syd's imagination. Then she let her hair fall free, down her shoulders, and pinning a clip at the side. She looked really pretty, honestly. But she decided not to overdo it, but no matter how this night went, she promised herself that she would have fun, enjoy herself, after all, it was her first real date with Sky Tate!

X-X-X

When forty minutes later, Sky showed up, she found it hard to contain her excitement, and she felt chills when he kissed her cheek, and handed her a bunch of pencils, which had eraser tops, and were bound together with a ribbon.

"what's that?" she asked, as he handed them to her

"you said no flowers. I thought stationary would suffice" he replied cheekily. Z kissed him on his lips, her heart melted.

"that's pretty cute…" she grinned, and he replied, returning the smile, "I'm pretty good at this."

"so ready for tonight?" he offered her his arm, she looked at it, but then declined it, "you're too cheesy" smirked, and made her way out, playfully asking him to catch up.

They were seated in the car, together, with Sky driving, and Z in the passenger seat. "Z you look stunning," he said, smiling; she was wearing a short black leather skirt, with thigh length net stockings, and a maroon top, which was topped by a crop black jacket, and a choker.

"thanks" she replied, blushing. She wondered why had she let him drive, it was so unlike her

"so where are we headed to?" she asked, grinning.

"well, I think it's better that you see AS we go through" he replied, smiling, then added, "speaking of which, our first stop is here!" he chuckled, and parked the car in the parking lot of some place Z hadn't noticed.

"ice-skating? are you serious?" Z asked when she saw the board outside, and was surprised to see it, he just grinned at her, grabbed her arm, and led her inside.

"I wanted us to have fun, and well, an ice skating rink is just perfect for fun!" he grinned, like an idiot, and led her over to the skates-for-rent stall.

Then they went into the locker room to leave their belongings under the lock, and strapping on their skating boots, and gloves, and the snow coat, which was definitely needed.

Then they rejoined each other, to make it into the ice rink, which had the ceiling like an indoor stadium, which looked pretty.

"Z, to be perfectly honest, I've been here before. And I'm pretty good at it" he said, nervously.

She smirked, "let's see just how good you are." And they entered the rink, Z held on to the railings at first as Sky showed some not-so impressive tricks, like going around once or twice, or skating backwards. Then Z smirked, and let go of the side railing, freely gliding across the ice, maneuvering through the sparse crowd to make her way to Sky.

"hey?" he looked surprised as he saw her gliding through, effortlessly. He hadn't imagined Z would know how to ice skate; this was even harder than regular skating.

"U likey?" Z asked, mischievously, then grabbed Sky's hand, and pulled him away from his side of the rink, right to the middle, where there was absolutely no chance of support.

"Me likey" he replied, gliding across the ice with her, and then she spun around on her ankles, with him, and they met again, bringing each other close together, holding each other's hands and looking into each other's eyes, and then they kissed, softly.

Time seemed to stop, the world seemed to spin, and the only thing that mattered to Sky was Z, and to Z, Sky. Their kiss broke apart after only a few seconds, though it felt like forever, which was followed by ringing, beautiful laughter.

"I didn't know you knew how to skate so well" he asked, smirking, and she replied, grinning cheekily, "well, to be perfectly honest," she said, teasing his tone, "I've done this before, AND I'm pretty awesome at it"

He grinned at her cheekiness, and smiled at himself. He'd NEVER underestimate Z Delgado again. They skated together, spun around, and almost _danced_ together, happier than they could ever be. They didn't let go of each other again, and just let themselves enjoy each other's company. Finally, a little tired, they came to rest at a corner of the rink, where he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her back against the wall, she smiled at him, and grinned, "here?" she asked, incredulously.

"No! are you crazy? I just like holding you close" he replied, to their very… intimate position.

"you know, when I was ten years old, my mother used to take me ice skating out over the frozen lake in the forest in the winters." She grinned.

"there's no frozen lake in NTC" he said, all the forest in New Tech had was a small stream, where he and Z had had their first sex sesh.

"who said I lived in NTC?" she asked, and then grinned, "I used to live at Freudenberg down the countryside, like what? a hundred miles from here." She smiled, as she saw the look in his eye change, to a look of awe.

"really" he softly asked.

"yeah, I moved to NTC when I was thirteen, after my mom died." She told, with a little sadness in her voice. "it's been tough since"

he kissed her lips again, "I'm not going to let it get tough again" he said; it was all she needed to hear.

Then they decided to ditch the ice skating rink, and made their way to the car again, laughing.

X-X-X

So, then Sky and Z's next stop was the Dino Bite Café, an extension of the one at Amber Beach, quite famous for it's dinosaur theme, and it was literally the NTC's teenager hub, although it was frequented more by adults in their mid and early twenties. It served alcohol too, but today, unlike quite a lot of other days, Sky and Z didn't order any, instead they decided to go for a jumbo size strawberry milkshake, too large for either to finish on their own.

"wait, just one milkshake?" Z asked, eyeing it suspiciously, mischief taking form in her mind.

"well, it's a date-special, you know?"

"what makes it special?" she asked, in her typical Z style, and he replied, in his typical Sky style, "it has two straws" and the two burst into a chuckle.

"this is lame!" Z exclaimed, "now that I'm on a date with you I don't even get my own milkshake?" she asked, whining like a kid.

"hey I should be complaining! You're the one who'll get more of it!"

"really?" she said, "what about your big mouth?"

"Hey!" he groaned, and she replied, "you know what?" and left it at that, letting what she was gonna do, speak for her.

She took another plastic straw from the stand, and dipped it into the milkshake, and began sucking with both of the straws, Sky's yes widened as he saw her laugh doing what mischief she was doing, and he decided he wouldn't stay behind her either. He eyed her playfully, and then challengingly, and then took around a dozen straws in his hand, dipped them into the milkshake, and then began slurping the drink through ALL OF THEM! Half an icy milkshake later, Sky Tate found whatever he had gulped down hurriedly coming back out through his nose!

As he realized what a fool he was making of himself on his FIRST date with the girl he practically loved, he started laughing and as a result, more milkshake started running down through the wrong pipe, and it was a few minutes before Sky could completely feel the sting of embarrassment, as he saw Z laughing so hard that she almost fell off her chair. Then he made a cute pouty face, with his eyes looking like a kitten, his whole lower jaw covered in the strawberry milkshake.

She looked at his adorable face, and she couldn't contain another chuckle, before she reached for a hanky from her pocket, and wiped his face clean, whilst he continued to laugh.

"would you stop laughing?" she replied… laughing!

Oof! It had been so embarrassing, and maybe in a way gros… but to Sky and Z, it was fun, oh so much fun! Watching each other's antics on the first date, which, as either was afraid at the time, was not awkward for either. They felt like the best friends they were, but at the same time, closer.

X-X-X

Anyway, after getting out of the café half an hour later, both a little ditzy with brainfreezes, she leaned a little onto his arm, both smirking, and chatting, and overall, enjoying.

He led her, walking, to the most romantic, and beautiful part of New Tech City, 'La Belle Ville Lumière' as they called it. Another name for that square was 'Little Paris' as it had the similar romance in the air. It was just a little great plaza, with a main square, that had beautiful yellow, diamond shaped lights suspended in the air, using some ET technology, and they glimmered beautifully, casting shadows here and there. The whole square wasn't lit up with anything else. It was specially built for romantic walks, no vehicles were allowed beyond a point. There were a number of trees and plants that bordered the square, strangely, giving it the look of a sorta park. There was a sweet, sweet fragrance in the air, and they saw a large artificial fountain right in the middle of the cobbled stone square, that had heaven's seven archangels, who were glimmering in a white light, distinct from the yellow lights that shone in the rest. There were no other electrical lights in the whole plaza.

Walking on the cobbled streets, in the most romantic part of New Tech City, Sky Tate decided this was the time. He had spent hours and hours in front of the mirror, trying to come up with some clever, poetic lines to substantiate what he was about to confess, but in the end, had settled upon this:

"Z" he turned to her, right as they reached by the fountain, its waters bubbling by their sides; she turned to look at him, and he said, "you give me premature ventricular contractions"

"what?" an amused look spread on her face as she tried to contemplate what the complex term meant. He grinned, as she said, "Sky I'm not a genius, you gotta walk me through the explanation" she smiled, so he knew she was still in a light mood, and he replied, grinning, "well, I googled it," he said, and then told her the actual meaning, which would've saved the comedy AND been more romantic.

"you make my heart skip a beat"

Though the words were sweet and touching, and beautiful, Z felt a dismay spreading through her. She couldn't even completely feel the warmth of his words, when her brain started revolting, telling her to get away before her heart gets shattered again. Another part labeled this part as irrational, and supported Sky completely, saying that he was a beautiful guy who would never hurt her, hadn't he been the one who had supported her when that jerk Joseph had broken up with her? Why would he do the same? But she panicked! Syd was right after all! She then made up her mind, in that same panicky state.

"Sky I can't do this." She said, with a heavy heart, "please take me back"

"no!" he protested, "no, Z, that's not the deal! You promised me a full date. That means we're gonna walk around, look at the twinkling lights and then—"

"Sky why are you messing this up?" she didn't even let him complete.

"Z, it's what people do for the people they love! They buy flowers, take romantic walks, the—"

again she cut him short, "Sky you know me, This stuff freaks me out! It just reminds me how fake it is. Every time someone does this, it is to take advantage of me. I've had this way too many times!"

"well, maybe I'm not like everybody else! You've said so yourself!"

"what's wrong with what we're doing? It's working! We don't have to fight, w—"

Now he cut her short, "maybe I want to fight!" he said, "I wanna feel close to you, I want you to love me!"

"well I don't!" she replied, irate, and that hit him pretty hard, but he continued.

"so what are you gonna do? Keep shutting everyone out? Never feel anything? Isn't that what YOU taught me NOT to do? What was with all that 'loosen up' shit? Was it an act?" he asked,

"no it wasn't an ACT! I genuinely wanted you to share your feelings"

"see now here you're contradicting yourself! I am sharing! You should too!"

"well, I can't" she replied.

"how you gonna do that?"

"I'll figure it out…" she spoke with bitterness, "I don't need you to take care of me! I can take care of myself"

"oh yeah?"

"it's what I've been doing all my life!" she replied, and then turned to walk away, then turned around and added a bitter, bitter afterword, "why don't you find yourself some other girl who won't break your heart?" the question stung his heart.

"because I love you." He said, almost expressionlessly, then the very next moment, she saw, ALL of Schuyler Tate's feelings surging up inside his eyes. She ignored them, and turned away, and started walking away really fast.

"Z DELGADO I TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY LOVE YOU! AND I WANT THIS WHOLE WORLD TO KNOW!" he shouted on top of his voice, so that his love, who was walking away, could hear him. She heard, but still unheard him, and just kept on walking, pulling her jacket closer to her body, as countless tears rolled down her eyes. She just couldn't face him.

He looked at her, hopefully, that maybe she'd turn around, or at least glance back at him, but then she turned round the corner, and with her, all his hope was gone. He stood alone in La Belle Ville Lumière, helplessly vulnerable, and for once, defeated.

* * *

A/N: Though i don't really like stories changing tone all of a sudden like this, it's what i do best! This was personally my favorite chapter of the fic. I've wanted to write their date for quite a while, and now that it's done, i am completely and utterly satisfied with the results!  
SO LONG UNTIL NEXT TIME!


	23. Aftermath

**Chapter 23: Aftermath**

"what?" Bridge looked at Sky, shocked as hell. "Z broke up with you?" he almost yelled, just as his downtrodden roommate, looked up, with teats clouding his eyes. He was holding them back, but recounting the terrible feeling was just too much for him, and he wondered how long he'd be able to hold back.

As for Bridge, when he asked Sky what had happened when he had returned early from his date with Z, Sky told him everything. Bridge just couldn't believe it. When he had read their aura, weeks ago, they had been in love… ABSOLUTELY in love with each other. It hadn't been one sided, Z loved Sky back, just as much as he loved her. This was why when Sky had been rehearsing his confession in front of the mirror, instead of warning him against it, he had encouraged it. Bridge had just not imagined a scenario where Z would reject his best friend…. Or was it her best friend? Did Sky have two best friends? No wait he loved her in a different way than he loved him, he was like his older brother… and besides Sky was straight, and even if Bridge wasn't it wasn't Sky he liked… ever! Sky had always been like a big brother to him, and seeing his 'big brother' just broken like this made Bridge mad!

How dare Z break his heart?

She would have to answer to him! But for now, he had to console Sky.

"Sky, relax," Bridge said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "maybe she was taken by surprise! She'd come around! I know she loves you, and you know it too!"

"Bridge what if she doesn't? What if she just leaves and never looks back?" Sky was literally hysterical.

"Z wouldn't do that, Sky," he said, reassuringly, but Sky knew, that Bridge had been wrong before, when he had said that Z felt the same thing as he did.

But before Bridge could reply, the boys' conversation was interrupted by someone else, "I thought you guys were on a date?"

Daniel Masterson was standing in the doorway, looking a little… uneasy.

"I was" Sky replied, "I'm back now"

"but Bridge said that you were going to stay the night" he was visibly confused.

Sky looked at Bridge, a grin of amusement spreading over his face as he realized what happened in this room when he used to be in his sex-friend-slash-best-friend-maybe-girlfriend's room.

Daniel realized something had gone down between Sky and Z, which meant that he was upset, and it was more important for him and Bridge to console him.

"what happened Sky?" he asked, worriedly, and Sky, instead of telling him everything like he had told Bridge, just told him that he had said told Z that he loved her, and that she had replied that she didn't.

To Daniel, the solution was clear enough.

"buddy, it's simple! You gotta fuck!"

Sky and Bridge both looked at Daniel, confused, wondering what the idiot was saying.

"see, when you go through a break-up, the best thing to do is a one night stand with any random person!" he said, and well, he kinda sorta had a point. That WAS what Sky Tate used to do. Right now, he sighed, as if he was tired.

"so man up," Daniel slowly got to the point of his 'plan' "and clal every girl in our contact list till someone agreed to have sex with you!"

Sky couldn't help it; a short chuckle escaped his lips,

"DUDE!" he said, amidst his snorts, "that is a _terrible _plan!"

Bridge nodded, "agreed…." Then added, "you can call girls in our contact lists too!"

"what?" Sky looked at the two idiots, and well, what could he do? They were idiots, but they were _his _idiots. He gotta do wut he gotta do!

"yeah man, whatev you decide we're with you!" Daniel agreed.

"I'm not just gonna call some random girl and ask her to have sex with me!" he said, and then added, "but thanks guys, you tried, and it means a lot to me!"

"should we play board games?" Daniel asked, "it'd be kinda like a boys night"

Sky shrugged, he had to put up with them… Z wasn't going to wanna see his face anytime soon was she?

X-X-X

Meanwhile, back in Z's room, she entered, just a little before Sky had, because he had chosen to wander around a little bit in his heartache. The first sight she was greeted by, was that of her roommate, and frenemy Sydney Drew, whom she was not at all in the mood of talking to. They had seldom talked in the past few days, a side effect of Syd's bitchy behaviour, and she was the last person Z wanted to talk to about her falling out with Sky.

"broken up?" Syd asked, predicting how the date night had gone between her and Sky. She seemed oddly pleased about it.

"no!" Z replied indignantly, and she had a point, because well, they had never technically gone out.

"what did he say?" Syd asked, getting up, sitting to face her roommate, taking pity.

"he said that he loved me"

Syd figured that if he said that, then the break up is because of something Z must've said, so she asked, "and what did you reply?"

"that we agreed to keep it casual, and that I don't want my heart broken"

"and in the process, you broke his" Syd rightly pointed out.

"oh come on" Z was in no mood to think that everything that had happened, she was at fault.

"oh _you_ come on" Syd mocked, "this guy, literally the hottest, most well built, and the most PERFECT guy of the whole SPD academy tells yo that he loves you, and you say _that?!_" she was incredulous.

"I already said I don't want my heart to be broken"

"oh come on Z! You really think Sky Tate is going to break your heart? He tells you that he _loves _you after what? Sleeping with you ONCE!"

"it's not like that Sydney!" Z realized she didn't know anything about her and Sky's whole friends with benefits thingie.

"well?" she demanded to know whatever she didn't know.

"okay, Sydney" Z said, sitting down finally, "here's the deal, Sky and I have been friends with benefits since last year… since Jack left" she slowly explained.

"uh what?"

"yes"

"you mean, like you have been having SEX with Schuyler Tate? for a WHOLE FUCKING YEAR! And you didn't have the courtesy of telling me about it?" Syd had completely flipped out.

"give me one reason to" Z said, and she kinda had a point.

That was when Syd realized that there's no point in her trying to get to Z. She needed someone she could trust, and somehow, Syd had a person in mind…

X-X-X

"Z?"

Z turned around a little surprised to find Dr. Manx sitting on her bed. She hadn't even realized she had entered the room, much less that she was sitting right behind her.

"Kat?" she asked. She wasn't in the mood of anything.

"We need to talk" she said, a little glumly.

"Go away Kat" she said,

"not before you listen to me"

"say whatever"

"Syd told me what happened"

"she's a bitch"

"she sent me to help you out, because you're not going to listen to her"

"who says I'll listen to you?"

"Z, I know what happens when you fall in love with someone you planned to be casual with" she said, and with that, she caught Z's attention, and she turned around, Kat asked, "you're listening?" and Z nodded.

"Commander Cruger and I, are in a very… complex spot. Something you might not know, but we were, have been, friends with benefits, or a casual relationship, for over four years now." Z nodded, she knew of it already, but decided not to point it out, Kat continued, "I was his friend, companion, confidante, and even loves, despite us being from different planets, different species, it did not stop us. after all, if one starts believing everything that people who _don't _matter, say, it just holds us back."

"as it happened, I fell in love with Doggie." There was sorrow in her voice, "and I was, am, pretty sure, that he did too. But he could never admit it. He had spent 43 years pining for his wife, whom he loved a lot, but falling in love with me, was hard for him. Admitting it, even more so. Why?" she asked, realizing Z's lost expression, "because that would mean that he didn't love Isinia anymore. She was his wife, and though she was lost, as an honor to her memory, he tried to keep me away. For him, admitting he was in love with me would be a treacherous betray of his love to his wife."

"but Isinia came back" Z rightly pointed out.

"exactly! Which was what made my position all the more obsolete." She could see the pain in the cat alien's eyes, "when Isinia came back, Doggie knew that there was no point in 'us' anymore. We 'broke up'. But his love for me drew him back to me. And I still loathe myself of this, but this fatale attraction led to us having an extra marital affair, as humans call it."

"That's so SAD!" Z was overcome by sympathy for Dr. Manx.

"Z, you still have a chance! Your Sky doesn't have an Isinia; he completely admits that he is in love with you! There is nothing that is in the way of the two of you being together. Why do you want to run away?"

"I don't want my heart to be broken again!" she said. This was her final decision.

"Elizabeth listen to me, get some sense! What are you going to do? Never love anyone ever again? that isn't possible!"

"it is for me!"

"give him a chance!"

"why should I?"

"because he loves you and you love him!"

"I don't love him!"

"yes you do!"

"who says?"

"anyone who has ever met either one of you!"

"oh yeah?" Z asked with scorn,

"I've known both of you for over three years! Sky for five, and I know that he isn't the type who would just break your heart. He'd keep you safe, he'll love you, he'd respect you. I know him!" then she paused, "and I know _YOU _Z, you're not the type to judge people, and you're not someone who would run away from someone you know you love! You're someone who faces challenges, always up for something _bigger! _Where is that Z?" Kat asked, in a sad voice.

"I'm done with you too" Z said, getting up, she was getting sick of people siding with Sky and telling her she was the one who was wrong here.

"Z you have to tell him what you feel! You have to give him a chance!" her voice was raised, very raised, as Z neared the door of her own room, "Z STOP! HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT COULD'VE BEEN IF YOU JUST RUN AWAY?"

"I don't WANT to know" Z replied, bitterly.  
"GIVE HIM A CHANCE! HE WOULDN'T BREAK YOUR HEART! TRUST ME! I SAW HIM. HE IS LIKE A DEPRESSED PUPPY RIGHT NOW!"

"Good!"

"ELIZABETH DELGADO IF YOU WALK OUT OF THAT DOOR RIGHT NOW I'M NEVER SPEAKING TO YOU AGAIN!"

"Sounds good to me!" Z said, coldly, and walked out.

Kat sat dejectedly on the bed, having failed. Feeling miserable about herself, as telling Z had stirred up her own feelings, and hidden anxieties. She was nothing but an extra for Cruger. It made her depressed. She was pretty sure her ears were hugging her head, rather than standing up straight.

* * *

A/N: Notice the subtleties? (Skip night shift, *wink wink*)


	24. Labels

A/N: THIS IS TO THE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY PESTERING ME FOR THE PAST TEN DAYS (ShadowRanger05 I'm looking at you) IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG IN THIS CHAPTER, WITH GRAMMAR OR ANYTHING, IT IS THAT IDIOT'S FAULT!

* * *

**Chapter 24: Labels**

Sweaty, as he returned from the gym, he was just about to enter the shower, when he caught a glimpse of his phone. It showed a new message in his mail. He wondered who could be mailing him this early in the morning; it was almost 5 o'clock after all.

He picked it up, and opened the mail. It was short:

**_Dear Schuyler,_**

**_I must say, your father and I were very disappointed in the way you acted that day. We are certain that we did not raise you to be that selfish. Schuyler, we want you to reconsider our proposal. Oh and one more thing, we do not approve of that girl you brought to meet us that night; she is a bad influence on you, and we would like you to stop seeing her. To simply put it, if you do not stop seeing her, we are cutting you off. _**

**_Love_**

**_Mother._**

"cutting you off?" Sky heard a voice ask from behind, he turned around to look at Bridge, a glass of milk and a toast in his hand, looking at him, and reading the mail over his shoulder.

"that means I'm not getting any allowance from them."

"you get allowance from them?" that surprised even Bridge, who thought he knew everything about his roommate.

"well, yeah I mean my expenses" he looked at the punching bag, and art supplies and the other stuff in his room that wasn't really needed by him, because it was available at SPD, but still Sky owned because he wanted to have his own, and not need to share them, "are not really met… by my salary at SPD, so they give me a monthly allowance for my… pointless expenditures."

"oh! So what are you going to do? Stop seeing Z? I don't think that would be a problem, with everything that went down between you two. Why are you so worried?"

"I'm not worried," and reading his aura, Bridge knew he was telling the truth, "but how did you know they were talking about Z?"

"you know when I pride myself saying I know practically everything there is to know about you?" Bridge asked, and Sky nodded, "well, this is one of them." And Sky grinned, punching his shoulder a little.

"go take a shower, or you'd make me smelly too" Bridge replied, grinning, "and don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen"

Sky agreed, and moved into the bathroom, taking a shower, and for some reason, missing Z there with him.

It was only after about four hours or something, that Sky decided to reply to the email. He also kept it short, and eith minimum emotions, which also happened to be his specialty.

**_Dear Mother,_**

**_I cannot accede to your demands as I have a few objections to the proposal, AND the way you have framed it._**

**_1)_****_Mr. Chavez is NOT my father. My father is Landon Tate._**

**_2)_****_Your demands are absolutely irrational._**

**_3)_****_I am not selfish, you are._**

**_4)_****_You cannot expect me to leave my dreams and life and everything I care about so that I could just take care of your stupid nuisance, which you don't even need in the first place._**

**_5)_****_I love Z and you cannot make me leave her._**

**_6)_****_You want to cut me off, DO SO, happily._**

**_Thank you, I am pretty sure that I have made myself clear. And if you want to contact me again, please do so after you have gotten all these ideas out of your head, and turned back to the Taylor Eardhart Tate I used to know._**

**_Love_**

**_Schuyler_**

"wait, wait, wait, this doesn't make any sense" Bridge said, reading over his shoulder again, "I thought you were going to leave Z and keep the allowance? How will you deal with your 'expenses'?"

"I told you I had made my mind, and well, I might be with Z, and I might not, that's my call. I don't want anybody else telling me that I can't be with her. Least of all, my mother. I am old enough to handle my life. As for the expenses, nothing wrong with it, I can cut short on them. If you, Z, Daniel and others can live on just the SPD salary, I can too, I don't need to be an overspoilt brat like Syd." Sky explained, and Bridge could see the determination in his eyes, and to be honest, Bridge was impressed.

"hey Bridge, it's almost been a week, you think I should try talking to Z again?" he asked, and Bridge looked at him.

"Sky, I know what you should do"

X-X-X

"Z?" Sky yelled, as he ran across halls in SPD, looking for his teammate, who had been so cut off from everybody for almost two weeks, and well, everybody too had been trying to give her some space, him, Dr. Manx, Bridge, Daniel, Syd, and even Cruger thought it was better if she spent time away from her friends a little, and hence it landed her up with missions that sent her for hours and hours on stakeouts, or to tail people, or gather info, that might not be done at SPD, i.e. all the field operations.

"Z!" he continued running, trying to find her, he knew that she might not listen to him, after all, she didn't listen to Dr. Manx, who was what? Over 120 years older than her. But he knew just what to do right now. It would be his last try, and if it did not work, Sky planned to give up, because he valued his love for her, but if she was going to be as stubborn and irrational as his mother, he was better off without her. What was Z afraid of? Getting her heart broken right? What Bridge had said made sense. All he needed to do was win over her trust… Even if he did so as a friend, and nothing more.

"Syd have you seen Z?" Bridge skidded to a stop, and asked as he came across Syd, and Syd nodded, "I haven't technically seen her, but I know where she is" and then she told Bridge, and well, Bridge ran to Sky telling him what to do, and Sky nodded, he agreed that Bridge had a point, and also agreed that it was better if he spoke. Sky stopped to collect some things for Bridge's plan, and then made his way, almost running, to that spot in the woods.

He found her sitting there, her feet in the stream, oblivious to the world, and depressed, as she was.

"you know, it's against the rules to sit here all by yourself," Sky echoed the words he had said to her almost a year or so away, "what are you doing here Sky? Go away!" she unknowingly repeated her own.

Sky smiled at the irony, and knew there was no place better to talk to her. "Z?" he slowly came and sat by her side, on the forest floor, dipping his own feet in the gently flowing stream.

"go away Sky" she repeated, "I don't want to see you"

"why not?"

"because…." She didn't know exactly what to say.

"because you don't want to admit that I'm right?" Sky said a little playfully.

She rolled her eyes at him, and started to get up and leave, but he gripped her hands, and dragged her back to where she was sitting, and she looked at him with murderous eyes.

"I'm not going to say stuff like 'I love you Z,' and 'please take me back' and shit like that" he said, and grinned, "I'm not usually a sucker for stuff like that. I don't know what happened to me back at our date."

She looked at him tiredly, Kat couldn't convince her, and she wasn't sure whether Sky would be able to or not. And yes, before anybody objects to it, she WAS rude to Kat and she is not a bad person, and so she DID feel very bad about it.

"what I am trying to say, Z," he said, conjuring up from behind him, a photo album, HER photo album. "take a look at this"

"it's pretty" she said drily.

"you're not getting it, lets just flip through the pictures" he said, doing so, there were a lot of them. From the badmintons, the Halloweens, the arcades, the movies, the jungle gyms and even the pillow talks! They talked, they laughed, remembering the memories, for a few moments, forgetting everything that had gone down between them. "remember laundry day? you ALWAYS separate out your whites, and delicates, and whatnot into SO MANY categories!" she said, punching his arm.,

"and you just throw all yours in the same machine like a trashcan" he replies, laughing so hard, that he got tears in his eyes.

"oh, oh, oh, and remember the time we went jogging?" he added suddenly,

"ON THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!" Z said,

"yeah" Sky chuckled cheekily, "I got Cruger to teleport us there"

"what a nice surprise!" she laughed, and then he laughed, and finally, laughing, he said, "see? We're great together!"

at that statement, Z realized they were sitting REALLY close to each other, and on that realization, Z suddenly jerked backwards.

"Sky I can't do this, I already told you! There are wayyyy too many expectations, which are not met, so many promises unfulfilled, and so much more! Sky if we ever get into a relationship, who knows what might happen, I might break your heart, you might break mine, and all these memories" she pointed at the album, "might turn sour"

"might?" Sky scoffed, and well, he had a point, they weren't on amazing terms yet were they? "Z, that is what I am offering you, I get it, after everything that happened, that you don't trust guys. Jack left, Joseph cheated, and whatnot that I don't even know about. But I am not like any other guys. I am your friend… shoot that, your BEST friend. To hurt you would simply kill me. The same way I can't hurt Bridge." he said, "I'm not asking you to go out with me, or date me, or marry me, or anything, what I am asking you, is to stay my friend…" he said, extending his hand for a handshake.

She paused, considering, "hmm" she said, "I don't want to lose anything we have either. We should stay just friends"

"don't say that like it's a bad thing" Sky said, at her tone.

"Sky to be honest… I love you too, but like I've already said, broken promises, unmatched expectations, and in the end, a million pieces of two hearts, I just don't know what to do."

Then suddenly, an idea hit Sky,

"remember that time when we were… friends, had sex, 'no strings attached', and were fake dating?" she nodded, that weird time, she had enjoyed it a lot.

"well, I was your friend, I was your boyfriend, (fake tho, but still) I was your sex friend, and… I loved you too, right?" she nodded again, " BUT we couldn't label what we were."

"too many labels, too much confusion, yes"

"and you agree it was the best time of our relationship?"

"yes"

"so what if we just forget the labels?"

"WHAT?" the idea seemed crazy to her.

"just think of this, we will be whatever we are, we will be to each other, friends with benefits, best friends, lovers, buddies and everything, but not be called anything. We're just great together, and we do not need labels to define what we are. We know what we are."

Z smiled, she never knew Sky could come up with such an innovative solution.

"it makes sense" she nodded, "I mean if we just follow our hearts, what can go wrong?"

"and you don't need to keep expectations or make promises, whatever we do, we do of our own free will."

"yeah, so no anniversaries, and stuff like that"

"and no 'I'm your girlfriend so you will have to do this for me' stuff either"

"I can always say to that 'you're not my girlfriend" he chuckled,

"heyy!" she pretended to be offended, but then laughed, "it's perfect, you know, this arrangement."

"we're perfect together, and I don't want us to throw that away on stupid labels. I don't want us to be 'friends with benefits' or a 'couple' or 'just friends' or anything like that, I just want us to be 'Sky and Z'. And I don't care what the world says"

Z smiled, "it's kinda perfect." She hugged him, "I love you, but hwat if you break my heart? Like Joseph? Or the many guys before him?"

"do I seem like any of those guys?" Sky asked, a little hurt, and Z could feel it, "Joseph wasn't the one who came all the way into a forest console you when Jack left, was any one of those guys here when Joseph broke up with you? Did any of them take you into a blue color Shotet rain, to stain your skin just so he could see a smile on your face?" Sky had a point, and Z shook her head, her eyes filling a little with tears.

"nobody ever pretended to be my fake boyfriend to get back at my real boyfriend either" she added, laughing a little, "no Sky, nobody truly compares to you, I really misjudged you. I'm sorry for putting you with all those other fuck ups and jerks."

She saw a smile erupt, though it was slow to come up, "its okay Z, I understand what you've been through, I won't break your heart"

"I'll trust you, and I promise I always will"

"I won't break your heart Z, I promise, I'd die if I do… no fingers crossed. If things end with us, it will be your call. I will keep clinging on to you pathetically like a leech" he joked a little, but he was serious. He wasn't going to leave her, and he wasn't going to let her leave him easily.

"I love you Sky," she said, now kissing him fully on the lips.

"I love you too Z" he replied, kissing her back.

Now that everything was almost perfect, now, Sky pushed Z back against the forest floor he continued kissing her passionately, covering her body with his own, much larger one, "you okay if I do this?" he suddenly asked, pulling back, as she had that one fateful day, and she chuckled, pulling him down on the ground with him.

Neither of them bothered about the world, and after three or almost four hours later, finally, collapsed on the ground together, her head resting on his chest, "what should we tell them?" she asked, referring to their friends,

"let's let them figure whatever out on their own."

Both of them laughed, and slowly drifted off to sleep… together.

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A/N: BUT WAIT... the story isn't over yet!  
So long until the NEXT chapter!


	25. Epilogue

A/N: HERE WE GO! Finally!

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**EPILOGUE**

"To be honest, I still can't believe Syd turned thirty" Z Delgado told the Commander of space patrol delta, as she looked into the mirror, and tried her earrings, "I mean she's literally the youngest of us!"

He looked at her, and just smiled, she wasn't really expecting a response either, so she continued, "you realize we aren't young anymore? I mean today, like officially, we're all thirty plus! We're practically oldies!"

"we're not OLD Z" he said, shaking his head, chuckling, "we just can't blame our irresponsible behavior on _'being in our 20s' _anymore."

She turned around, to find him standing there, with a pair of moon earrings, with stars hanging by the ends, in his hand, "I think these are better than the trash in your hands"

"heyyy!" Z said, indignantly, "they're Syd's choice"

"which is why I call them trash" he said, solemnly.

"come on Sky! It's her birthday! I should wear _something _out of the whole outfit she chose for me to wear"

"I'm not letting you look like an idiot in front of everyone we know AND don't know" he said, shoving the earrings right in her face, and she pushed them away, "Sky!" she said, annoyed, then she pulled her master card, one he never had an answer to, "you're not my boyfriend, and I'm not gonna let a GUY control my life"  
"not even if that guy loves you and cares about you?" he asked with puppy dog eyes.

"not even then" she said, indignantly,

"okayyyy" Sky dragged the word on for too long, making her suspicious.

"what have you done?" she asked, but right at that moment, a five year old boy, with brown hair, freckles, and a pair of astonishing blue eyes came bouncing into the room.

"Nico, this or that?" Sky asked, holding up his pair, and then pointing to the ones Z had.

Nico tilted his head, "hard one daddy" he said, very unconvincingly, and then pointed to Sky's. He smirked, and looked at Z, "you won't go again Nico's choice will you?" with the same puppy dog eyes look, that again failed to work their magic this time.

Z rolled her eyes, then she bent down to bring herself onto her son's level, "Nico? Did daddy tell you to choose the ones he was holding?" Nico giggled, and then nodded, and Z looked at Sky triumphantly, but then Nico spoke again, "but mommy I really do like the ones daddy has for you! I picked them out!" Z's eyes darted back to the little boy, and then to the earrings. Coming to think of it, they weren't really Sky's style.

"you did?" she asked, in her most loving voice, that she saved for Nico, and some times, for the Commander.

Nico's grin gave it all away, and Z got up, and joined Sky, "Alright, I'll wear these, only for that little angel there." she looked at Nico, who then ran out of the room laughing, "but if Syd's mad, she's gonna have to take it out on you" Sky smirked, and gently kissed Z on her cheek.

About one hour later, leaving Nico in the care of his nanny, Sky and Z drove to the Drew Mansion, where Syd's parents STILL held her birthday bash.

The party was already in full swing when the two walked in the doors, and were immediately greeted by their friends Daniel and Bridge, who seemed to have been waiting specifically for them to arrive.

"FINALLY!" Daniel began, "we thought you'd never show up!"

"actually we did think you'd show up, and so we waited for you to show up, but then you didn't show up, so we thought that you might not show up but we were hoping that you'd show up, and then we went in for a couple drinks, and then we thought you might show up again, and then the drinks wore off so we thought you might not show up again, but we really hoped that you'd show up becau—"

"BRIDGE!" all three of them yelled in unison, and he looked at them embarrassed, "I'm just glad you showed up" he settled for saying.

"anyway" Z started, "where's the birthday girl?"

"take a guess" Kat Manx commented, as she came up from behind, wearing a knee length dress, and a hair-band with Minnie Mouse's bow on it. With her, dressed in a white tuxedo, was Dr. Felix, her new and much, much better boyfriend. The four grinned.  
Then Dr. Manx pointed at Sydney, and there she was all right, in a long frilly frock, not at all upset about turning thirty, and randomly flirting with a certain gentleman from the Navy.

To wish her, Sky and Z made their way to her, and she saw them, and then she hugged them, "you guys! You shouldn't have!" she replied, receiving their presents, with them knowing fully well that if they didn't, they'd have been off the guest list… maybe. Anyway, then she turned to introduce then to the guy from the Navy, "Sky, Z, this is Ryan Stewart, he's a lieutenant in the Navy. Ryan, this is the Commander of SPD, and the Head Trainer" she introduced Sky and Z respectively.

After the formalities, and all the 'nice to meet you's Z dragged Syd away, to give her, her own private birthday wish, "Downright Dirty, Happy Thirty, Miss Flirty" she said, and Syd burst into a HUGE grin, "how long did it take you to come up with that?"

"two bucks" Z replied, and Syd looked at her weirdly, "got it off a greeting card" she chucked, and then the two girls hugged again.

"can't believe that _you're_ thirty" Z repeated what she had told Sky earlier that evening, Syd just grinned.

"I can believe you are though" she said, and Z pouted, "well, you have a kid, a husba—" Syd cut herself off before she could complete the statement, "you have Sky" she said, instead, "you have an amazing job and you have a nice house. I mean your life is practically complete. Look at me! Thirty, and standing in a party thrown by my PARENTS!" Z realized Syd was a little upset.

"how about this? In your 20s, you learned a lot, grew as a person, and had tons of fun! Now keep that shit up. No need to worry, you are still the awesome person I used to know!"

"thanks Z" Syd said, smiling, and at that moment, Sky arrived with that guy, Ryan something? And they started talking to the girls again. then in time, Sky and Z drew away from the conversation, leaving Syd and Ryan to talk.

"see? She didn't even notice" Sky chucked when they were out of earshot, and Z grinned, "well, she's Syd. Why'd I even think she would?"

The two spent a nice time at the party, chatting with people, feeling terribly old, meeting Sam and Brianna, the soon to be Omega and Nova Rangers at SPD, respectively, and their other young, friends, who had just entered their twenties a year or two back. Z was Brianna's trainer, along with that of many other cadets at SPD, after all, she was the head, and she believe dthe girl had true postential. She had topped the academy four years in a row, and was ready to enter the Ranger Squad the following week. Z was about 99% sure she'd make the Red Ranger, the 1% off chance of Sky pulling a Cruger-like move, and choosing someone from the streets for it instead.

Then they joined their own group of old friends, Bridge, Daniel, and Kat joined by Jack, who was out on parole, (his coke stock had been busted) and finally, after an eternity, Syd.

"Ready rangers?" Jack joked, and all others laughed, raising their glasses, "to the Power Rangers! That amazing connection that brought us together, not just as a team, but as friends!" he said, and they all smiled, and laughed, and chatted, as if they had not a care in the world. They were all grateful for what they had, right here, in their hearts. Anybody part of the Ranger family was family.

It was only after half an hour, that everyone dispersed, and got into mingling with the other guests as well. It was Sydney Drew's party, and of course, it was not going to end before two at night, before Syd's official concert. There were still three hours to that, and Sky and Z looked at each other, unsure of what to do, because, apart from the rest of the old B-Squad, who all seemed to be busy with other people, the other guests were terribly boring.

He found an idea forming in his mind. "Z?" he asked, "Syd's gonna be greeting other people, Bridge and Daniel are busy chatting by that bar, and I don't think with all that sugar between them, they'd notice us gone, as for Jack, he might be… you know?" Sky tilted his eyebrows, "anyway, what I am saying is that we're at a mansion, with too many extra rooms, and well, Nico's away, and safe, and there's nobody to bother us you know?" he asked, looking at her mischievously.

She saw that glint in his eye, and understood what he was hinting at, "come on Sky, we can't just hook up in someone random person's room" she said "we're thirty"

"so what? come on Z! its been a while since we've gone all out! all we get to do are little quickies" he made a puppy dog face again, and this time Z gave him the liberty to sway her with it. she averted her gaze, blushing a little, "well, it is true that we haven't gotten much time to ourselves these days. Hmmm… maybe its not such a bad idea after all" she said, throwing her arms around his neck, pushing her lips against his.

They pulled apart, "let's get a room" he said.

"are you sure there'd be extra rooms or something?"

"three people, three hundred rooms. Pretty sure they've never been used in their life" Sky said, matter-of-factly, "but Sky, remember, it's the DREWS" she said, emphasizing, and then burst into a grin, he also joined in, "but we'd get one right now. don't worry. And let's hurry. I don't wanna waste any more time" he said, pulling her out of the party hall, and into a deserted hallway. The lighting was beautiful, and there were a lot of paintings hanging through and through. Seems the Drews were art collectors.

Anyway, that wasn't what interested Sky and Z, as they got busy within themselves, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her passionately, she pushed her tongue inside his mouth, and they tongue kissed. She locked her arms around his neck, and they pulled into the nearest room, still making out passionately, but were interrupted suddenly by the realization of another couple of pair of eyes in the room.

Super embarrassed, they abruptly broke apart, and faced the other couple, and were surprised to see who they were.

Brianna Manners, the top cadet of the SPD academy, sat on the bed, the sleeves of her dress hanging way too much down her shoulder than they were supposed to, Sam stood behind her, beside the bed, his tuxedo jacket on the floor, his bow tie undone, and his blond hair quite ruffled. She looked like she had been crying, and he looked like he had been trying to hold back the tears, and not doing a very good job at it.

Sky and Z looked awkwardly at those two, 100% sure they had walked into the wrong room at the wrong moment, and among the wrong people.

"we'll just… go" Sky said, stumbling around Z, and taking her hand, ready to leave. But then Sam stopped them, "no need. We'll go." He got up, but then halted, as Brianna spoke again, "please Sam! DON'T!" she said.

he looked pained, "Brianna! Why are you messing this up?"

"I'm not messing anything up! Sam this is how it just is. I am in love with you, and we promised we'd by perfectly honest with each other! I am! I'm telling you that I don't just want this friends with benefit arrangement anymore! I want to take romantic walks, look at the twinkling lights, buy flowe—"

He cut her off mid sentence, "Brianna you know me, this stuff freaks me out! It just reminds me how fake it all is. People say and do it to take advantage of me! I've had this way too many times!"

"well, I'm not like everybody else! You've said so yourself!"

"what's wrong with what we're doing? It's working! We don't have to fight, w—"

Now she cut him short, "maybe I want to fight!" he said, "but I don't"

"so what are you gonna do? Never actually feel anything? How you gonna do that?" she asked, turning around, and facing him with steely eyes,

"I'll figure it out…" he spoke, "I don't need you to take care of me! I can take care of myself"

"you're so messed up"

"this is what I do. Why don't you go out and find some other guy for yourself who's not gonna break your heart?" he taunted.

"because I love you" and then the two sank into silence again, without giving the other two spectators as much as a glance.

Sky and Z looked at each other uneasily, this conversation felt a little too familiar for both of them. The plaza, the little Paris, the everything from that evening came flooding back into their memories, as well as the misery that it had caused afterwards. They remembered it all crystal clear, and here it was, the very same scene replaying right in front of their eyes. Different setting. Different characters. Same scene.

NO! Sky and Z could not let another pair suffer from the heartbreak they suffered those few painful days.

"Sam, Brianna, let us tell you a story" Z said, sitting by Brianna on the bed, and Sky and Sam joined in.

and so in a span of one hour, fifteen minutes, the two, in short, narrated the very same story that I, SKYLAND2704 narrated to you in over a year. The youngsters listened carefully, to the story, believing it to be a carbon copy of the one they themselves had lived. It was a strange coincidence, but there nonetheless.

Finally, when Sky and Z narrated their settlement on the no labels thing, Sam and Brianna looked at them surprised, "wait, so you're telling us, that it worked?" he asked Z, relating with her side of the story, Z looked at Sky instead, and smiled, "what do you think?" she asked.

"did you not just see them entering the room making out?" Brianna said.

Sam nodded, "and your friends? Were they okay with it?"

"what have they got to do with it? this is our life, and we know how we live it. they understand they cope. First time we told them about this, they were like, 'aide moi mon dieu'," Sky mocked Syd's reaction in particular, and he and Z chuckled.

"and now?"

"now we live together, have a baby, well, a five year old, baby or not, and we are Sky and Z, that's all we are, besides happy. Not husband and wife, not friends, not best friends, not lovers, not boyfriend and girlfriend. Just plain Sky and Z," she said,

"and the chances of fighting are also quite less, we don't have any anniversaries to remember, we don't have gifts to buy"

"whatever we do we do of our free will, there's no compulsion to take the fun out of it"

'but don't you ever think you're missing out? a wedding? Or honeymoon or something?" Brianna asked.

"if we feel we're missing anything, we'll talk it out. we'll then decide. And to be honest," Z turned to look at Sky, "I'm not as afraid of getting married, as I was back then."

Sky smiled, "I just want you by my side, married or not, doesn't matter to me" he kissed her, softly.

"Of course there's no hundred percent guarantee that it will work, but it worked out so well for us, you two could at least try it out."

"but both of you will have to maintain an effort to keep this going. Any slacking, and you know where it goes," Sky added, and then Sam looked at Brianna, "I love you too. and I'm willing to give this a shot if you are"

"I wanna try. I wanna save US" she said, and the younger couple sat holding hands. Sky and Z, realizing their work was done, quietly slipped out of the room, and closed the door behind them, so that no one else disturb them (No they didn't latch it)

"so now what?" she asked him.

"were you serious about that wedding thing?"

"dead serious" she said, and Sky controlled a smile. He had longed to see Z in a wedding gown all his life, but he had never let it show.

"I'll pick out the gown" he stated, "no questions no objections"

"but the groom's not supposed to see the gown."

"when do we do stuff that people are 'supposed to'?" he asked, and she chuckled, "but right now, should we go get another room or something? Because if I am right, we still HAVE two and a half hours left. So shall we?" he said, but then paused, another idea, "or would you like to sneak away with me for a walk to the La Belle Ville Lumiere, with the twinkling lights Brianna mentioned?"

"hmmmm" she crossed her arms, pretending to be considering the idea, and then laughed quietly in the end, "I'd love to." and she softly tangled her fingers with his, grasping his hand, and smiling at him, as they headed out into the cool september air, to the Little Paris, Ville Lumiere. He was all she had ever needed, and she was all he did. Both were fortunate enough to have realized this fact, and grateful that they did. She loved him so much! He loved her back just as much, maybe even more. Nico was pretty lucky to be born to these two!

Love, was a strange thing. Figuring it out, Stranger still, but strange things have happened, and no stranger would this be either, for they were together now, and would stay. Forever.

**THE END**

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A.N: Yes! The story is over! Friends with Benefits is over and I just can't get over it! Thank you to everyone who took the time of putting up with me and my crap, and reading/reviewing this story! It really means a lot! Thank you! You kept me going!

SKYLAND2704 out!


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